


Show Me That Glasgow Smile

by PurpleDragoness



Series: Rise of the Guardians [3]
Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: F/M, Horror, Romance, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-01
Updated: 2016-01-24
Packaged: 2018-01-21 12:37:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 31,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1550738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurpleDragoness/pseuds/PurpleDragoness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Watashi kirei?" Be careful how you answer her questions. Give her the wrong answer, and you won't live long enough to regret it. When the son of Halloween and the Boogeyman escapes her clutches, she becomes obsessed, putting everyone he loves in grave danger. Sequel to "What is Your Center" and "Church of Bones"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> As said in the description, this is story three in my Guardians series. The idea struck me, so we'll see where this wants to go. If you are not familiar with these stories, please find "What is Your Center?" and "Church of Bones" before reading this. If you're already a loyal reader, I hope you enjoy this story. :)

1.

Every culture in the world has several things in common. People, music, food, traditions, and most importantly, stories. Tales passed down either on paper or by spoken word. There is no shortage of these stories, no matter how many variations exist. The stories are meant for entertainment, and to teach moral lessons. Treat others as you would like to be treated, be fair, put others before yourself. The same stories are told, but due to desensitization, not many believe the stories like they used to. Once, long ago, most humans really did believe the folklores. In some parts of the world, even the governments would keep the legends of creatures alive, keeping rumored habitats of the creatures alone as to not disturb them and face the consequences.

Most of the stories were true, and the creatures were very much alive.

Even if humans couldn't see some of them, they existed, both the good and the bad. There was a balance to be kept. Good could not outweigh evil, nor could evil conquer good. Without fear, without hope, wonder, and dreams, what would a human be?

The realm of the supernatural had been silent for eight years after the last disruption by a powerful necromancer named Charon. Many died in the unfortunate and horrible deeds of the once mortal man. He required blood for his ritual for the end of days, and his apprentice reanimated some of the deadliest killers known to the United States to gather the materials.

Due to the heroic efforts of just a boy, Charon's soul was torn asunder and never heard from again. Those who had died could never be brought back, but due to the sacrifice of the boy conceived from sin, the killing had stopped. The end of days never came, and the humans continued on, blissfully unaware. Only two humans knew the truth. Jamie Bennett and Jessica Burns could be trusted to keep the secret. Jamie had already been doing so his whole life, and Jessica knew no one would believe her even if she wanted to tell.

Drago Black lived on, surviving off the last gift he had received from the Man in the Moon. If Manny hadn't sent him the moonshadow found on the darkest part of the moon, the Boogeyman and the spirit of Halloween would have been left without a son. Granted he had come into existence only due to Manny's gift to his mother eighteen years ago, the ever-smiling man, as always, had known more than he had let on. He had let Drago's mother have her cycles back, never telling her that her child would be the key to locking away the necromancer for good.

Eight years was long enough for apologies to be accepted, though the actions would never be forgotten.

Now Drago emerged from the shadows of a building in Nagasaki, Japan, feeling the tingle of his fear gathering run up his spine into his mind before settling in his gut. He stretched before putting his hands in his jeans pockets, navigating the narrow back roads of the city. It was almost time to meet his father to return home. The nightmare run had been successful, and left him well-satiated

He felt a rise in the air, familiar but different than he had felt before. It was similar to the vibrations of the ghosts that his mother worked with. Something didn't feel right about it. He turned around, seeing a young woman standing in the streetlight, a medical mask over her face. He thought nothing of it, knowing it had been a Japanese custom for a long time to wear one when sick. He only thought it strange that she would be standing in the otherwise dark streets alone, just staring at him.

She didn't say anything at first, and he almost resumed his path, finding no use in the girl. When she spoke, it was soft, and he had to step closer to hear her. " _Anata wa watashi ga utsukushii toomoimasu ka?_ "

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, my Japanese isn't what it should be. I haven't had time to learn many languages." She had gone quiet again. "Um, do you get me?"

She merely tilted her head, her odd blue eyes reflecting the light of the streetlamp. When she spoke this time, it was still shy, but intelligible. "Do you think I'm beautiful?"

Drago narrowed his eyes in confusion at such an abnormal question due to the circumstances. "Ah, yeah?"

Her form seemed to shift phases as she twitched inhumanly, removing the mask, showing a Glasgow smile carved into her skin that had never healed. Her voice warped and she held up a pair of scissors, tilting her head to the other side. "What about now? Am I still beautiful?"

He drew his double swords from the shadows, taking a few steps back in precaution as the slits allowed her mouth to open far wider than it should have. Apparently the movement counted as an answer. In an instant she was on him. Only his swords prevented him from being gouged. Her speed made it difficult for him to keep up.

"Am I beautiful?" she screeched through her flurry of blows.

He slipped through the shadows, keeping to the darkness, leaving the spirit confused. At least he thought she was a spirit. She gave off the vibe of the dead, sure, but… she also gave off the vibrations of that of the living mortals. He crept around her, looking for a good chance to strike. He found his opening and took it without hesitation. However, her reflexes remained too good for him. She spun around, sending him flying back with a kick to the chest, knocking the wind out of him.

Before he could react, she was almost on him again. He couldn't match her speed. He would lose, and this time, a little moonshadow would not save his ass. "Suffer my fate."

"Drago, get down!"

He instantly did as he was told, and not a second too soon. A familiar massive scythe whizzed through the air, catching the woman around the middle. She shrieked and vanished to nothing, her scissors clanging against the cement.

Drago grasped at his skin, calming his terrified heart. "Thanks, Dad. I would have been a goner if you hadn't killed her. What was that crazy bitch?"

Pitch looked at the scissors, recognition passing over his features. "I didn't kill her. She is a creature damned to this earth, never to die." He frowned. "It's just strange that she's come out this often lately."

"Is that why you wanted to come to Japan?"

"More or less. This wasn't exactly the outcome I expected. I didn't think you'd find her first." He caught Drago's eye. "Don't tell your mother."

"Do I look suicidal?" He gestured with one of his swords to the spot the woman had been standing in the light. "So what is she then?"

"A kuchisake-onna." He picked up the scissors delicately, as if they were highly volatile. "She was a very vain woman married to a jealous samurai. She committed adultery, he found out, and carved her face up, cursing her to never die. So she wanders the streets at night, doing exactly what she did to you." He handed the scissors to his son.

Drago frowned at the weapon. "Why though?"

"Why not? Everyone thinks differently. This is completely logical for her."

"She's mental." He finally let his swords fade into shadows again.

"I never said she was in her right mind." He looked to the horizon, seeing it start to lighten. "We should get back. She won't be reappearing for a while now."

He looked to his father's retreating back. "Should we tell the Guardians?"

Pitch shook his head. "Not yet. If she starts targeting younger children again, or if she becomes a greater threat, then yes. Until then, we monitor it on your mother's globe." Onyx appeared under her master, tossing her head a bit with an ethereal snort.

Bellini, Drago's own mare, emerged from the shadows as well, happy to see her master. He patted her thick neck before hauling himself into the saddle.

"Besides this little mishap, did you complete your rounds?"

He nodded. "Plenty of nightmares to keep both the adults and children tossing in what remains of their sleep."

His father grinned. "That's my boy. Let's go relieve your mother of Evilyn duty before she's consumed by exhaustion again." He opened a portal before them, allowing them both to enter it. Drago stood in the entrance of the Void, still holding the scissors tight in his grip. With great effort he unlatched his fingers and tossed the weapon back into the street. He flicked Bellini's reigns, catching up to his father so the Void could close behind him.

Once the last traces of the portal disappeared, the street went silent, the only noise being from the main roads of the city. A breeze picked up from nowhere, disturbing the stillness of the air. A figure emerged from the alley close by, staring at the area the portal had been. She bent down and picked up the scissors, shoving them in her coat. She took a medical mask from her pocket and put it back in place. "Drago, is it?" She returned her hands to her pockets, gripping the scissors firmly, feeling faint traces of the boy's aura. She closed her eyes, trying to lock on to where he had gone. She surprised herself when an aura with traces of his own appeared under her radar. Female. Though this aura was vastly different from the young man's. Where his was dark and corrupted, this one was innocent and sweet. "Seems I have one more stop to make before my night is over…."


	2. Chapter 2

2.

"Evilyn! Evilyn, this isn't funny! I said bedtime a half hour ago, Missy!" I looked in all the usual places my daughter would hide, finding no trace of her. I had gone to check on her, and good thing I had. She had slipped out of her room and disappeared on me. It was getting to be a tiring ritual trying to find her night after night, making sure she slept in the right place. Especially after having to entertain her all night when she would wake her parents up at the beginning of dusk, when the sun had barely set. Even if we didn't find her, the worst that usually happened wasn't really bad at all. She'd simply succumb to sleep wherever she was hiding, and either Pitch or myself would put her in her proper bed, depending on which one of us found her. Even so, it wasn't a habit I wanted her to continue much longer.

That night I was on my own as Pitch was out spreading nightmares with Drago while I dealt with our nightmare of a daughter. I stopped in my tracks as my oldest Shadowbat Vlad caught up to me. "We found her in your workshop. She's refusing to come up though."

I let out a breath of relief. "Thank you. I'll take it from here." He tried to say more, but I slipped into the shadows, determined to find the mischievous little girl. I just hadn't expected to see her on top of my globe. My nerves seized. "Evilyn Autumn Black you get down here this second!"

The little girl continued to sit cross-legged on the globe, staring at something out of my sight through her green-tinted gold eyes. "The lights flickered."

"They do that when your father and brother are out. Get down before I have to go get you."

She shook her head. "It wasn't like the other flickers. It stayed on."

I narrowed my eyes and went down the stairs leading to the atrium that held my globe. It wasn't an impressive size like North's, but it did what I needed it to do. I walked around to where she was sitting, letting me see her unwavering gaze set on Japan. "I don't see anything."

"It went away." She frowned, and I noticed she was petting one of the more docile and domesticated of the Shadowbats, one that had taken to her not long after she was born. She finally looked down at me. "I swear it was there, Mommy."

"I believe you. Now get down before your father sees you up there." Not that him and I both hadn't been up there before, though that was an entirely different situation only adults would understand. She turned around and slid down the side into my arms, the 'bat never leaving her grasp. It only let out a disgruntled squeak as I set her back on the ground. I led her away from the globe, casting my gaze back at the country for a moment. True enough, the light came on and sat there for a good solid two seconds. Usually they flickered continuously, blending together. While some areas would light up brighter when Pitch was spreading his nightmares, it never looked like this. I made a mental note to ask him to keep an eye out as I took Evilyn through the shadows to the main level of the castle.

"I'm sorry I made you mad, Mommy. I didn't mean to worry you."

I sighed through my nose. It was always difficult to stay mad at her. While Drago took after his father, Evilyn was all me. The only things she had inherited from Pitch besides his eyes was his insatiable urge to scare what living daylights were left in me. And she loved to push buttons. Apart from that, she was all me, down to her core and her abilities. "Why do you dislike sleeping in your bed so much?"

She went quiet then, allowing me to lead her, not to her room, but to the den. She was like Drago when he was still in his single digits. All I would have to do is put a movie on and he would fall asleep during it eventually. Evilyn did the exact same, but she did not have the same technology in her room as Drago had. We were meaning to fix it, but juggling two kids, one almost eighteen, along with our jobs, it was difficult. Evilyn was such a handful, half the times my husband would come home I'd be deep in sleep, and he would have to come into my dreams just so we could talk and sometimes have sex. I missed the intimacy, and took any opportunity to pawn our kids off on someone to get away to have the passionate, rough sex we used to have.

I sent her to the cabinet holding the old movies, letting her pick out her favorite. She had a thing for the old Beauty and the Beast film, and, like her brother had, she always wanted me to sing with her through it. I would always indulge her, no matter how exhausted I became. Her smile was worth it.

I did, however, want to know why she had such a hard time falling asleep in her own room. What did she have to fear? The Boogeyman was her father; there wasn't much else that would come get her in the night. "Lyn? Why don't you like your room?"

"Oh I like it just fine, Mommy." She got comfortable on the couch next to me, still holding the 'bat. "I just don't want to miss anything that might happen while you and Daddy are awake."

I could understand her intentions. She thought magic happened when the children were asleep. Oh they did. Just not what she was thinking. "Quite honestly? We're boring when the sun comes up."

She looked at me, her eyes wide with interest. "Really?"

"You bet. We're less active, ready for bed. Your father does his rounds and comes home, and not much else happens. Everything that you see at night in the workshop continues through the day, if not slowed down a bit due to the smaller amount of Skels I have doing the day shift." I pulled her into my lap, feeling her finally let go of the 'bat. "And if you still think anything happens, what have you seen while you're up past your bedtime?"

"I've seen Meeko scare Daddy pretty good one day. That was funny." She giggled, making me smile. Meeko, her tuxedo-patterned munchkin cat, was just like the rest of the family. That thing had ovaries of steel, and didn't care who she scared. She was sweet as could be, don't get me wrong, but she loved to scare people. Though we tended to get her right back.

"Well trust me little one, nothing big happens that you would miss out on. And I'm not just saying that to make you go to bed. Anything else that doesn't include Meeko?"

She stared at the TV in thought, watching the movie progress. "No…"

"See? You're not missing anything. If you were, we'd wake you up."

She frowned, her focus still on the movie. "I've seen Drago leave without you or Daddy."

To be expected. He had made friends in the mortal world, one a bakery owner and another a girl he had met eight years ago. It had taken some time, but I was able to let him leave on his own again. I still worried, of course, but… his eighteenth birthday was fast approaching in a few days. I'd have to let him leave for good eventually. He had been better trained to protect himself, and to control his abnormal gifts. Honestly, I wasn't sure what I was worried about. "No one likes a tattletale, Lyn. I know he sneaks out. Your brother isn't as crafty as he thinks."

"I'm hurt. I thought I was pretty slick."

We both looked to the doorway, and Evilyn jumped off the couch. "Daddy!"

Pitch grinned and scooped his daughter up as she got closer. "How much hell did you give your mother tonight?"

"Not a lot," she answered. "I helped in the workshop. And I carved my very own pumpkin!"

"You'll have to show me at nightfall. I'm sure it's terrifying." He frowned. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

Her face fell. "Yes."

"Then where should you be?"

She grumbled as he set her down and she stalked out of the den.

Drago cleared his throat. "I'll make sure she stays there." That boy knew just when he was needed, and I loved him all the more for it. "I'm tired myself, so I'll see you at dusk."

I turned off the movie as both children left, leaving us alone for once. "How did it go tonight?"

He tossed me the old shadow stone and I immediately felt its weight in pure essence. "That's full to capacity tonight, if that says anything."

"Mm, good boy. Mom needs to survive too." I pressed my fingertips to the stone, absorbing the fear stored inside. I barely felt him sit next to me as I sighed in relief. Some of my energy returned, but not much. "Evilyn found something while you two were away."

"Anything dire?"

"Wouldn't say dire, but it could be something worth checking out." I tossed the stone back and forth while my fill rested in my gut. "Were you and Drago in Japan at all?"

"For an hour. Why, did something show up on the globe?" He pulled his legs up and leaned against the corner of the couch. "Because I thought your globe lit up wherever we were causing nightmares."

I let him pull me between his legs, almost purring as he rubbed my shoulders. "Mm, it does, but this was different. The lights stayed on longer than usual."

"I'll look at it in awhile. Something might be off in the mechanism itself."

I shook my head, closing my eyes to feel his deft fingers at work. "No, I've seen it broken before. It's not that." I bit my lip as he traveled lower. "Do you remember what it looked like when Lucifer was loose? And Charon?"

"Of course."

"It was doing that. It would be easier if it was a malfunction, but I wouldn't feel right if we brushed it off as nothing." Despite us being creatures of shadows and evil, we were usually the lesser of the two when it came down to it. We needed fear to survive. And, it was all in good fun. We never wanted to kill anyone. We never wanted them to suffer physically, or even mentally. We tended to spread the fear, avoiding night terrors if at all possible. If anyone suffered from them, it wasn't our doing.

We weren't Guardians. What they did and represented was not us. However, it didn't hurt to be acquaintances, if not friends with a few of them. They still viewed us with trepidation. If something was off in the balance, Pitch was usually the first target. He had been behaving himself for almost nineteen years, but that never stopped them from coming to him first to make sure he hadn't lost his sanity again.

No, with all their rules, guidelines, and responsibilities, I wouldn't want to be part of them. I still couldn't see how Jack fit in with them. He kept his stance as a neutral, but he did still follow the commands of the others.

I arched my back as his hands traveled up under the front of my shirt, gripping my breasts playfully. "Mm, can I help you, Oogie?"

He chuckled against my ear. "I thought I'd be allowed to feel up my wife when I so chose. It's been awhile since I could do this physically."

"What if they—"

"I know for a fact Drago was walking on his last leg of energy, and Evilyn usually stays down when she's out for the count." His thumbs brushed against my nipples, making my breath hitch. "Unless you want to take this upstairs."

I pressed my lips together, shaking my head.

"Good girl." One of his hands snaked down my belly while he used his grip to hold me against his chest. "Keep using the stone."

I tilted my head back so I could see him, arching my brow. "You want me high as a kite?"

"Not just you. There's enough for both of us in there." He moved only to unfasten my black pants while I tapped into the stone again.

I felt the telltale tingles of the fear start to take effect since I had already consumed all I needed for a few days. Any more than that, we entered into what we called a fear high. It was exactly as it sounded, and while it had various effects, it depended on what we were doing at the time. Or how we felt. I barely noticed his fingers dipping beneath the cloth of my panties, but I for sure noticed when his skin touched my more sensitive flesh. I felt the pleasurable tingle erupt over my body, making me hum in content.

He held his free hand against the stone, absorbing what was left. Immediately his fingers picked up their pace, running against my clit while he growled possessively into the skin of my neck, around the collar. "Besides, it makes it all the more fun," he rumbled.

I couldn't deny that. I held on to his arm as it returned to my chest, keeping him close as he made me twitch against him. Every slip of his fingers brought me closer. The ache grew more powerful. My head went light, my muscles wound tighter. My nails dug into the cloth of his coat. A moan left my lips and he cupped his hand over my mouth.

"Mm, that's it Serah. Come for me."

My back arched against his hold. I couldn't take much more. I mewled into his skin, rolling my hips. He felt too good. The coil wound tighter. My throat went dry.

"Mom! Dad! The globe is lighting up!"

We instantly jumped apart like hormonal teenagers caught in the act as Drago called for us outside the den. I had to suppress the urge to throttle my son at interrupting something we both needed. That and I would be feeling the effects of the high for awhile yet. I could tell Pitch was not happy in the slightest either.

He curled his lip. "Why did we have kids again?"

"We thought it would be a good idea." I got up from the couch and refastened my pants. "Are you coming?"

"Give me a few minutes."

I smirked as I saw just what would be keeping him sitting on the couch for a bit. "We'll take care of it later, Oogie."

"We're allowed to maim our kids in this day and age, right?"

I laughed and fixed my shirt, noticing it was still hiked up. "We can't do that."

He rolled his eyes and got up. "This better be important, or I just might break a few mortal laws."

"If I can't, you can't." I held on to his coat and pulled him down a bit, kissing him to ease his tension. "The day is still young, love."

He sighed and put his hands to my shoulder. "It's not that. Are we ever going to be by ourselves again?"

I bit my lip, my heart falling. "Well, yes, eventually. When Evilyn leaves the lair."

He groaned and leaned his head to mine, avoiding the horns. "No more hellspawn. I'm too old for this."

I wanted to laugh, but Drago burst in then, his ashen skin paler than normal. "Drago, what is it?"

He looked to Pitch, genuine fear in his eyes. "Dad, it's in Japan. She's back."


	3. Chapter 3

3.

"And you weren't going to tell me? You unbelievable son of a bitch!"

"It wasn't important enough to relay to you."

"Our son could have been killed and that isn't important?"

"It was taken care of."

Of all the stupid things I had let slide over the years, this was the most infuriating. I couldn't think straight as I stormed up the stairs on the other side of the atrium into my office, both father and son trailing behind me.

"Hana—"

He tried grabbing my arm to stop me but I pulled out of his grasp. "Don't touch me right now." I tossed open the door and took a crystal sphere from a shelf nearby, setting it in a holder on my desk. I activated the shadows trapped within, pinpointing the news reels from Japan. In real time the shadows translated the feed.

_"The Slit-Mouthed Woman, fact or fake? We have received numerous reports that several people have been admitted to the hospital, suffering from knife wounds resembling the old legend's scars. More have been brought to the morgue, either cut in half or beheaded. The surviving victims have not regained the ability to speak, but they have written descriptions of the woman. She wears a medical mask, and asks her victims if she is beautiful, just like the stories. Police are on the lookout for this madwoman, and are looking for any leads on the case."_

I glared at them both, who looked extremely guilty. "I see it was taken care of."

"Dad took her out with the scythe," Drago said. "I saw her evaporate. He said she wouldn't come back for some time."

"Those victims have been killed and attacked over the past few weeks," Pitch added. "She wouldn't have had enough time in the past two hours to do all of this."

"Then what's made the globe glow?" I said.

"With the news being released to the public, they'd be more on edge with the information. The Japanese are extremely superstitious. It'd be perfectly logical for it to start flaring up again."

He had me there. It didn't make his choice any less foolish. "And you knew she was there."

"I was looking for her myself to put an end to her antics before they got out of hand. I don't need to give the Guardians another excuse to barge into our home. The fact that your globe is still glowing, and these news reports, it means nothing." He looked to Drago. "Humans are slow to see what's right in front of them, if they see it at all. We won't know until nightfall if she stayed down or if she didn't."

"Regardless, you shouldn't have dragged Drago into this," I countered. "If you knew she was roaming the streets, why the hell would you think it was a good idea to expose him to that?"

"I am right here," he muttered, and we both snapped at him to stay silent.

"We won't be here to protect him forever, nor will he be here for us to protect," Pitch answered, crossing his arms over his chest. "He's leaving soon after his birthday, remember? He's on his own then. He's had enough training to stand against any other creature in our realm. This thing," he gestured to the crystal, "is not something just anyone can take down, nor can she be taken out with one person. She cannot be killed, only stopped for a short amount of time. I couldn't stop her by myself."

"Then take me with you, not your son."

"I can't risk that."

"And why not?"

He pressed his lips together, and I knew I was pushing his temper. Without a word he stepped forward, activating the shadows again. "What do you see in common with the victims?"

I looked into the crystal, seeing it focus on everyone the spirit had killed or maimed. All ten did have something obvious in common. I frowned and looked at him. "So they're all men. What about it?"

He let the shadows rest again. "The kuchisake-onna will target men of all ages. She either kills or maims them depending on the answers to her questions. Sometimes, if the victims know of the lore, they can get away, either by confusing her with an ambiguous answer or throwing candy at her. However, if she targets a woman, she can and most likely will turn that woman into another kuchisake-onna."

My anger started to dissipate then. He had no choice but to keep it from me. He knew I'd insist on helping, which would have ended much worse than it did. I let out a heavy sigh, ridding myself of residual spite. "So what do we do now?"

"For now, I suggest we send out several Nightmares and Shadowbats to patrol the streets to make sure she stays down. If it turns out she is still killing every night, we will intervene."

"The Guardians should know," Drago said, looking between us. "You've said it yourself, they'll come here first. If they find out this thing is out hunting, it's better to inform them than keep them in the dark."

It wasn't the most pleasant of options, but it would be necessary later on. I pressed my lips together and nodded, tilting my head towards the door. "Find Vlad and send him to North. He'll take it from there. Tell him not to take action like his usual brash self." I paused for a moment. "Better yet, send Vlad to Clara. She'll be able to handle North better than we could."

He nodded in understanding and left the office, closing the door behind him. The resulting quiet unnerved even me. I jumped as the silence was broken. "So am I still an unbelievable son of a bitch? Or can we go to bed and resolve this little misunderstanding?"

I bit my lip. He had taken the course he believed to be the most effective. I did tend to underestimate Drago's abilities. It still hadn't sunk in that he wasn't a boy anymore. He had grown up on me. He developed powers beyond either of his parents. He was fully capable of fending for himself. But what mother wants to admit her first-born child is ready to be cast into the world? I was no different than any other maternal creature. I did owe Pitch some form of apology. "Close the curtains."

He let out a soft chuckle while he did as asked, closing the curtains I had placed over the window overlooking my globe. "So you forgive me?"

I watched him stalk around the desk. "Don't get the wrong idea. I'm still furious with you." I let him heft me onto the desk and stand between my legs. "You're just lucky I'm still high and horny."

"Oh I am a lucky man, I'm aware." He took hold of my hands as I tried to tease him through his pants. "That's why I couldn't tell you. I can't risk losing you."

I didn't let him say more. I pulled him down to my lips, reigniting the flame that had built up before. I knew he loved me in his own twisted way. And I knew how much he had suffered in the past. It was why I had agreed to take the title as his wife. There had been no official ceremony. Who would tell the King of Nightmares he couldn't just say we were married? They'd be suicidal. I had agreed with him ages ago when we said we wouldn't only because I didn't want him committing to something like that if he was still clinging to the past. The past before he lost his soul. It wasn't as if it changed anything between us when he had brought it up eight years ago. Only my last names changed, both mortal and immortal. I preferred being addressed as Mrs. Black over Miss Eve anyway.

I was still mad at him for endangering our son, but he had had no other choice. Despite our past agreements and gatherings, he would never turn to the Guardians for help. Not if he could help it. In this case, the only one left was Drago. So, for now, I forgave him.

I sighed into his skin as he picked up his pace, impatience pouring through his actions. I could taste the residual fear from before on his lips, making me ache for more. He unfastened my pants again, this time pulling them down with my panties, forcing me to raise my hips for him. I pulled him back as he fumbled with his own pants, dropping them just enough for what we needed. With one swift thrust he filled me up, forcing a gasp from me.

He held himself up on the desk , shifting for better balance. "Mm, I can't remember the last time we defiled your office."

"Which makes it too long. Don't make it any longer."

I saw the mischief in his eyes before he grinned. "Oh no, we wouldn't want you to go much longer without me doing this…" He rolled his hips, sending a shock of pleasure through my belly. "Or even this…" He bent down to kiss my neck. He must have been leaning on a small stack of papers. His balance faltered and he accidentally knocked over my lamp, shattering the bulb.

I couldn't help but laugh. "My smooth operator," I choked out before he snorted and started laughing as well.

"How do you know I didn't mean to do that? I could be clearing room to fuck you better."

I arched a brow. "Is that right? I thought you were doing well enough." True I wasn't in the most comfortable position, but that didn't matter. Physical intimacy was hard enough to find time for. I was sick of the dream sex. "Come now, Oogie. You're leaving your queen unsatisfied."

"What a shame. Allow me to remedy the inconvenience…"

He gave me no warning, no time to comprehend anything. He pinned my wrists over my head with one hand and held my hip in place with the other, taking me over and over again. In my office, I didn't have to be quiet. I didn't have to worry about being heard. I let him know just how good he felt. His body pressed to mine, keeping me against the desk as he kissed me, his tongue dancing with mine. It was too good. I couldn't take it. His pace didn't falter as he took me hard. I called for him with his real name. My teeth and nails sank into whatever flesh he had exposed as my legs locked around his slender hips. I felt the pressure building in me again, different from when we were fooling around in the den. All at once it exploded and I almost couldn't breathe. My vision went hazy and my head light. I begged him not to stop as the climax slowly faded. Instead he picked up his pace, bringing me right back to the brink.

All the while he wasn't quiet either. Curses slipped past his lips against my own between kisses. He moaned into my skin. I pulled his bottom lip between my teeth to bite him playfully and he let out a soft laugh. I could tell he missed the physical intimacy as well. Dreams could only satisfy so much. He'd still wake up stiff in the evening afterward, but we rarely had time to have sex to get rid of it. Some nights I had time to help him, others I couldn't. Though it always meant he was more sensitive the longer we waited. It wasn't all bad.

I felt his pace falter and he took in a sharper breath of air. He was getting close. His grip on my hip and my wrists increased, just below a painful level. I arched into him, letting him go deeper.

"Naughty girl," he growled, though another moan broke his tough façade. His strokes became short and sharp. His jaw tightened against the pleasure.

I didn't get to see more before my own pleasure burst again, forcing me to arch farther off the desk, tilting my head back and exposing my throat. He wasted no time in accepting the invitation, running his tongue over the exposed skin around my collar.

"Have you guys—Oh! Oh fuck, I'm sorry!"

We stopped, him mid-stroke and me still rigid from the orgasm that had yet to completely fade away. In my upside-down vision, Jack was shielding his eyes in the doorway. During our high and horny state, we hadn't thought to lock the door. I had no idea what to do. "Um, hi Jack." Technically with how we were on the desk, the winter spirit couldn't see any skin besides my legs, though with my usual thigh-high socks, even that wasn't much.

Pitch wasn't as polite. If I had been cockblocked twice in two hours I would have been pissy too. I had had mine, he hadn't yet. "What the hell are you doing here, Frost?"

He kept his eyes shielded and averted. "We were talking in the Pole before Hana's 'bat got there. Sandy saw something in Japan while he was out tonight and wanted us all to meet to talk about what to do." He shifted in place uncomfortably. "They sent me to tell you to go to the Pole, and to bring Drago. I didn't think you'd be—"

"We'll get there when we get there," he said, venom dripping from his voice. "Now get out before I send a Nightmare to rip you apart."

Jack hadn't been scared of the man in twenty years, but even he knew not to push the issue currently. He apologized and excused himself, letting the office door slam behind him.

I shifted my gaze back to Pitch. "So what now?"

He growled through his nose, getting off of me. "I don't need North coming here accusing us of avoiding a situation if we tried to get back into the mood." He fixed his pants and helped me off the desk to find my own.

I bit my lip. "Kozmotis…"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me." He crossed his arms, nodding to the small computer on an untainted space of my desk while I put my pants back on. "I can take care of myself if I need to."

"Still though."

He gave me a small smile. "So long as you had your fun, I'm fine."

I nodded. It didn't make it any fairer. "We need automatic locks."

"Not many are foolish enough to come down here." He tilted his head to the door. "Prime example number one. Which I'm surprised at, since I pegged him as example number two usually."

My workers all knew never to come in if we were alone in the office, especially not if the curtains were drawn. They would usually deter either of the kids in that case. That only left the brave fools of the Guardians, and not many of them braved the Boogeyman's wrath. Not these days. "I suppose we can't decline the summons, can we?"

He shook his head. "Otherwise I would have told Frost to go fuck himself."

He'd be on edge for quite some time yet. Going straight to the Pole probably wasn't the best idea, but North was bringing it upon himself if things went awry. I wasn't going to be the most pleasant person either. I was still exhausted from taking care of Evilyn all day. I smacked my head. "Oh no, Evilyn."

He frowned. "What about her?"

I let out a laugh, finding the situation actually a bit humorous. "I just told her that nothing happens when she stays awake. I thought I finally had her convinced to go to bed when told, since she realized she never actually saw anything happen when she stayed awake." I put my face in my hands. "She'll be so mad at me."

His smirk returned. "Don't worry about her. We should be back before she even wakes up."


	4. Chapter 4

4.

I expected a very cold welcome to the Pole, and not from the never-ending winter. Instead, North was the host with the most the moment we left the Void. He clapped Pitch on the shoulder, giving each of us a warm laugh St. Nick was known for. "I'm sorry to see you few days early. We need to, ah, compare notes."

We followed him up the stairs leading to the main floor with the globe's mechanisms. "This isn't about you thinking we had anything to do with this?" Pitch asked, confusion evident in his voice. "This is unlike you, North. Usually you're jumping down either of our throats."

"Too close to Drago's birthday. Even you are not so evil to disrupt that."

North wasn't wrong. As I said, we were the lesser of two evils if anything were to come up like this. However, even we were creatures that held compassion. We loved our kids. We'd die protecting them. We wouldn't do anything to compromise Drago or Evilyn's lives. I just wished old folklores would keep to themselves. It would make our lives easier again. The days where the only threat was Pitch's slipping sanity were a lot less complicated, and less deadly. With him sane again, in control of the darkness of his missing soul, he had been more willing to keep the worse villains of the supernatural away from the humans.

Hard to scare someone to death if they're already dead.

As for me, while I did choose his path willingly, I was never interested in tormenting a human, leaving them so scared they'd have to look over their shoulder the rest of their lives. It would make it too easy to extract fear. And humans are such fragile things. Granted, we had both sent our fair share of mortals to the psychiatric ward accidentally, but we never bothered those souls again.

Drago had taken after us, though he went his own route. He scared those who deserved it. Those with guilty consciousnesses that made even his father sick to his stomach. His center, as we had discovered eight years ago, was judgment. Drago found the weaknesses of those who did wrong in the world and made sure to bring the fears to light. In a way, he helped those people. If the weakness and fear haunted the human enough, sometimes they faced their demons. Lived better lives. He never had to repeat the skill he used on Charon, and I hoped he never would have to again.

As for Evilyn, she hadn't found her center just yet, but she was becoming promising in the workshop. I had been planning on having her come with me that upcoming Halloween, to see if she had what it would take to continue what we did. She already showed interest in my work, and so it was a start.

"I apologize for calling you so late, for your family at least," North said as we reached the top of the stairs where the others waited. He let Drago forward before stopping us and dropping his voice. "I also apologize for the interruption. If it wasn't important, we would not have sent Jack for you."

I shrank a bit, a little embarrassed Jack had told North what he had walked in on. "What did he tell you?"

"Very little. I know time is hard to find. Clara tells all sorts of tales when the fires die down for the night."

Clara, North's wife, was one of my only friends in this life besides Cupid. I trusted them with everything, and they with me. It wasn't as if I didn't share their stories with Pitch if I found them interesting enough. It didn't surprise me that North would know our… issues.

Pitch cleared his throat, nodding to the others. "Shall we get this over with then?"

"By all means." North gestured to the others, raising his voice again. "Sandy said he saw things past few nights in Nagasaki, then tonight Tooth said fairies saw strange woman lurking in shadows. Wasn't your wife, so they stuck around."

"They saw the fight, Drago," Tooth said, flitting over to the boy, three of her fairies around her. "But they didn't hear what was said. We need you to fill in the blanks."

He nodded. "She said something in Japanese. I told her I didn't understand her, and she said it in English after a moment. Asked if she was beautiful. I thought it was strange, but she was, for a human. I told her, and she ripped off her mask. Besides her asking if she was still beautiful, that was all the talking that happened." He sat at the table between Bunny and Sandy. "And I'm sure you know the rest."

I felt a chill creep up my neck. I knew of the old legend, and I had seen the crazy bitch at work one Halloween night. I hadn't been aware just how much blood ten pints really was until that point. I hadn't known what the midsection of a human looked like, or how the viscera would sound as it hit the ground. Knowing my son had faced that creature, that demon… I leaned back in my chair, a hand to my forehead to keep myself from mild nausea.

Clara stood from my left, walking around my chair to the front where the yetis had hung up a map of the city. She marked a few streets with a marker. "This is where she's struck so far." She marked a few more with another color. "And these are where she's killed. So far, only three men have been sent to the morgue. We're lucky they're so superstitious. The stories of this woman have been passed down since she came into existence."

"How do we know she isn't a human?" Bunny asked. "Women can kill in any culture."

"She has trouble staying on this plane when she shifts to the second phase," Pitch explained. "With the stories known, she's only been repeating the first phase for so long. She hasn't gotten to the second part too often. And no one has been able to put her down before."

Clara frowned. "What about the incident in the seventies? When she was struck with a car?"

He shook his head, tapping his knuckle on the table. "Skull cracked wide open, something they leave out a lot. That woman wasn't this one. The original has the ability to create more from other women. The one struck with the car is, as I suspect, one of those copies. The original is dead, yes, but cursed to walk the Earth. Hence why she is unable to remain in the plane for long. However, if she manages to create a copy, or kill, or maim, she can feed off its collected energy, using it in a parasitic and predatory relationship respectively."

North stroked his beard. "So that is why she is showing up more?"

He nodded. "She's taking advantage of the collected energy."

"Are we facing something we should be worried about?"

"Cautious. I've stopped her for now, dispersing the energy. We were going to monitor the country for awhile, just to be sure."

"But the more eyes, the better," I said. "We should also see if there is a way we can stop her forever."

"There isn't," Pitch said. "Not one that's been found. Anything anyone has tried to do only sets her energy back to minimum."

Drago sat up from across the table. "I might know someone who could help."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Schulz belongs to Jayalaw. Getting that out of the way first. :)

5.

It had been a long time since we had visited the human's bakery. I had chosen to accompany Drago while Pitch went home to watch Evilyn. I was on my last leg of energy, but there would have been no way I could sleep now anyway. And I could tolerate the light of day a bit more.

The bakery hadn't changed much from the last time I had entered it. When the apprentice had taken over so his boss could open a second shop elsewhere in Florida, he had kept it fairly similar. He had his own way of operating things though, especially with his magical gifts.

The redhead looked up from his work, running an arm over his brow, dragging flour over his skin. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Queen and Prince of Nightmares?" he said with a smirk.

Drago rolled his eyes, approaching the counter. "Cut the crap, Schulz. You know why I'm here."

"I'm fresh out of chocolate cherries, so your girlfriend will have to go without tonight."

That caught me by surprise and I saw the betrayal pass over my son's face. "Girlfriend, huh? That's news to me."

"Way to go, Schulz," he said through his teeth, and the young man behind the counter shrugged. "That's not why I'm here."

He stopped rolling his dough, leaving it to set. He glanced around, seeing one customer in the back. He kept his voice low and moved closer to us. "If it's information you want, that means it's something bad if even your father doesn't know anything about it. And you two already know my answer to the subject."

"I know you don't approve of what Pitch and I do," I muttered, "but you do approve of Drago's approach. We need to know how to stop something known as unstoppable." I quirked a brow. "Or do you want humans to be victims of the creature, knowing you could have helped stop it?"

He pressed his lips together and sighed heavily through his nose. I had known him since Drago was a young boy. We had come in on a whim since he had been well behaved that day, and he wanted a few sweets. Schulz had been still under the watch of his mentor. I learned he was a boy of extraordinary abilities, such as the one we needed to access now. He had traveled the paths of time itself, protecting the humans from things beyond our abilities and knowledge. Reluctantly, he asked," What are you facing?"

"Kuchisake-onna," Drago answered. "I got away when my dad cut her through. I know it wouldn't kill her, but—"

"You got away?" Schulz interrupted, his face draining of color.

"Yeah, why?"

"Could she have followed you?"

"No, I escaped through the Void. It would have taken away any options of tracking us."

Schulz didn't seem to be convinced. He had only made it to his thirties by being cautious. "You're hunting something that is a hunter. One of the predators at the top of the food chain. Killing her, or attempting to, is a fool's errand."

"There must be a way," I said, hating to speak around the hoarse nature my voice took on at lower levels. "Everything has a weakness, something that can be exploited."

For all the boy's expansive knowledge, this was the first time I had seen him perplexed. "I don't know for sure. I have heard whispers. Garbled. I never paid them much mind. I can go back, see what they say. It may take a few days to get the answer."

"How many?"

"Four at max, three at minimum. Let me make a few phone calls; I can close the bakery for a couple of days so that I can tap into the vast reaches of reality and emerge intact, with information." He looked around again. "For now, relax. Go home. There's nothing anyone can do. Lay low."

I hoped he could do it in three. At the same time, I needed to hear that I could relax with my family, each in their own way. I nodded. "Keep us informed of what you hear."

"You'll be the first." He reached for his phone in his pocket, not bothering to dust off his hands. "I'll get her on the phone now. Sooner I call her, the sooner we have this figured out. I can't sully my reputation for letting your kind screw up."

* * *

I kept myself awake in Hana's office while she accompanied Drago to the bakery. I thought it would be best to monitor both her globe and her sphere while I could keep conscious. I missed the past where I could spread fear for days on end. I had nothing to drain my energy farther, though I had also not had such a strong anchor to keep my sanity in check.

I rubbed at my tired eyes, listening to a repeat of a reel I had heard an hour prior. Nothing new had appeared, and I was starting to feel more anxious for some reason. I should have felt relief, knowing I had sapped her energy, but something seemed wrong.

"Daddy?"

I jumped a bit, not realizing I had dozed off at some point. I glanced to the door, seeing Evilyn standing there, looking as if she were still mostly asleep. "What are you doing out of bed, Lyn?"

"I couldn't sleep." She rubbed at her eyes. "And your room was empty. Where's Mommy?"

I stood up, clasping on to her shoulder as she came closer to the observation window. "Drago had to take her to see someone."

"Did Mommy find out about the human girl?"

I frowned at her. "Human girl?"

She immediately clamed up, realizing she had ratted her brother out unintentionally.

"What human girl?"

She knew when she was beaten. "The girl he met a long time ago. They've been talking all along."

If it was the girl I was thinking of, one he had met on Halloween eight years ago… That would be one secret I would have never thought he could keep. I couldn't stop my grin. "Is that right?" I wondered if Hana knew.

"Daddy? Can I ride Onyx for a bit?"

I didn't see the harm in it. Onyx and Hessian hadn't produced any more foals besides Bellini, and no Nightmare had taken to her yet besides Onyx. "Of course." I felt her hand wrap around my fingers as I led her down the stairs to the atrium. I was planning to take her out soon, to see if she could make her own Nightmare. I summoned Onyx and hefted Evilyn onto her back.

"Are you mad?"

"I could care less what he does." It was true. If he really was seeing a human woman, far be it from me to say no. The woman could provide useful in trapping humans later in life. I walked beside the horse, reins in hand to keep her steady. "Quite honestly, so long as he continues scaring the mortals, let him do as he pleases." I had long accepted he had grown on me, and that he had his own way of getting results. He didn't have terrifying features as I did, nor did he have the precise talents of his mother to bring forth anxiety and tension. What he did worked, so who was I to judge?

I saw her look at the globe and frown. "It's back to normal."

"It has been for awhile. I've been watching it."

"Is that why you look so tired?"

It was part of it. I nodded.

"And you're worried about Mommy?"

I let out a chuckle. "I haven't had to worry about her in a long time. She can hold her own."

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't. Isn't that part of loving someone?"

She had me there. "When did you become so knowledgeable?"

"Some things are just obvious, Daddy. Duh."

I shook my head with another laugh. "Of course it is. Silly me." I felt a shift in the atmosphere, and the Void opened in front of us, Hana and Drago coming through. "Any luck?"

Hana shook her head and glanced at Evilyn, signaling any further talk would not be for her ears. "Somewhat. Evilyn, what's wrong?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"I've got a remedy for that." She reached up so our daughter could slide off the Nightmare's back into her arms. Without another word to us she took her upstairs.

Drago rubbed his eyes to wake himself up a bit more. "Schulz said to lay low. He doesn't have a solid answer."

"I thought that boy knew everything."

"Not this. He said he's only heard whispers. He needs to go back to figure it out. It'll take a few days."

"I suppose that will be good news for your girlfriend."

He went to say something and stopped. "Evilyn blabbed, didn't she?" I nodded. "Don't. Mom already lectured me about immortals and mortals."

I clasped my hands behind my back. "I wouldn't lecture. I know you're well aware of the difference by now. She was the easy one to scare, wasn't she?"

"Yeah, but she loves it." He narrowed his eyes. "I thought you'd be the one to disapprove the most."

"At this point in your life, it's none of my business. As a father, I'm hesitant to admit you're ready to be off on your own, but as someone watching from the sidelines, you are ready. It's up to you to make choices, good or bad. It's your call to what is right and wrong for you."

He grinned. "So long as I keep scaring, right?"

"As if you have to ask." I started to walk to the darker shadows.

"Aren't you going to tell me to go to bed?"

I chuckled. "As if you'd listen to me as it is. Don't worry. As far as I know, you did just that." I sank into the shadows, letting him make his own choices. He had been wise so far. I found I hadn't had to reprimand him too often as he developed.

I emerged in my shared quarters, finding them empty with the fire low. Over a century ago I couldn't care less if the fire had even been started. Having someone sharing my bed again spoiled me in requiring the heat for her. I knelt and shifted a few logs, stoked the embers, reigniting the blaze. I'd have to restock the logs in the evening. Just the thought of the strenuous activity made my back and neck ache. I stretched in reaction while the dry log crackled and sparked to life.

A sudden, cool, soft touch on my neck startled me for a moment. The weight that had been behind me shifted to straddle my lap. She pressed her body to mine and ran her fingers through my hair while she kissed me hard. I held on to her hips as she pushed my chest, sending me flat on the floor. I growled against her lips as her rare rough side came through, sending a shock down my body.

She pulled back and I kissed her throat around her collar. "I'm close to passing out, I made sure Evilyn will sleep all night with pure Dreamsand, and I told Drago to stay away from here on pain of death before his eighteenth birthday. Make this worth it."

I laughed into her skin. "Still haven't had enough?"

"If you don't have the stamina old man, I do have something electric that can help me just as much…"

I didn't hate that little thing as much as she thought. I had gotten quite a few surprising reactions from her using it. However, that morning was not one of the rare mornings I would reach for it. I was far past the mood for foreplay. The news of a few days away was one I needed to hear. After being awake and active for as long as we were, we'd need the few days to recover and gather fear again.

I managed to keep her awake for an hour, silencing her screams, making sure we would both be satisfied as much as we could and praying we would remain uninterrupted.

And, for once, luck was on our side.


	6. Chapter 6

6.

I'd like to say that sweet dreams followed what we did in front of the fire. Getting rid of so much pent up frustration usually put us at ease for awhile.

Instead I tossed in my sleep. Strobe flashes of worn walls and tattered fabrics filled my sight. Anxiety crept up from my gut, constricting my chest. I felt eyes on me, but no one was there. I had no control, meaning it wasn't one of Pitch's concoctions. Whatever was watching came closer, but I couldn't summon my weapons. I could only wander. My heart raced against my ribs and my breathing became sharp as my pace quickened.

A haunting giggle echoed off the grimy walls. Something grabbed my arm and spun me around, leaving me nose-to-nose with a knife tip.

My heart stopped as a Cheshire grin emerged from the darkness beyond the knife blade. "Don't run. I'll make you beautiful."

I shot awake, sitting upright in bed. My heart felt like it could have broke from my chest, and my nerves kept me stock still as my breathing attempted to regulate. My shaky fingers found my bare arms to comfort myself, letting me feel how clammy my flesh felt.

I barely noticed Pitch had woken when I had. "Hana?"

My heart slowed down and the shot nerves were beginning to ease up. "Don't worry about it. Just a nightmare."

He leaned up. "You shouldn't have any of those. Not while I'm here."

I got to my feet, finding the nightgown I had tossed aside the previous evening. "I just need to clear my head."

"Hana, you're exhausted. I'll give you the Dreamsand if you need it."

I shook my head. "I'll be fine." I stretched my spine and rubbed a tension spot on my neck, under my collar. "I'm a mom. I'm used to long stretches without sleep."

I purred as his fingers took over for me. I hadn't seen him dissipate from the bed to behind me. "There's a difference, love. One is unavoidable."

"Suffering from nightmares is usually unavoidable."

"I don't make anyone suffer. And they don't sleep with me." He took my shoulders and made me face him. "What did you see?"

The laughter echoed in my head, making me shake it in reaction. "I was in an old building. Very old. I couldn't talk or draw my weapons. Something was following me." I swallowed and looked at his concerned eyes. "It was nothing. This whole thing is making me jumpy."

His lips pressed together, but he let me go all the same. "Do what you will." He nodded to my nightgown. "You're obviously not going far."

I nodded to all his bare skin. "Nor are you."

"I don't need clothes if I'm going back to bed," he answered flippantly while he retreated to the mattress. "So you know, Evilyn will be awake in two hours."

Like clockwork. I bit my lip as I looked at him. "Can you-?"

"Keep her distracted all night? I was going to regardless. I had hoped Hessian and Onyx would breed again, but it seems Bellini was a fluke." He laid out on his back. "I'm taking her to create Nightmares, and I'm hoping one of her creations will take to her, since mine haven't."

That would be something only he could do. I couldn't create the physical horses he could. My nightmares were only mental, and it took no shape. I could only create bats, but I did have the capability to work with the reapers, ghosts, skeletons, and other creatures that have been associated with my night. "Is she even ready?"

"Drago was working with me when he was barely six."

"Drago is very different from Evilyn."

There was a subtle change in his expression and his voice went softer. "She'll find her center. It takes time for some. When she does, her power will rise with it."

I wasn't so sure, though I brushed it off as maternal fears. I could at least trust him to keep our daughter safe. "Keep her away from Japan."

"As if I'm callous enough to do such a thing." He rolled on to his side, giving me his back. "Clear your mind and calm down. There's enough already coming up. You and I both do not need the stress."

I nodded and left our room, choosing to take the long way around the castle. I stopped and leaned on the low wall outside our door, which overlooked the center of the lair. I took the route that would take me to the stables. I needed some insight from my second oldest friend. Once I reached the entrance I slowed my pace, approaching his stall. "Hessian?"

I heard a heavy weight shift over the hay-strewn floor and a soft grunt accompanied it. _"You should be out cold another few hours yet."_

"The recent situation is troubling me." I reached for his muzzle as I got closer and stroked the bridge of his nose. "It's poor timing."

He snorted like a chuckle. _"You can't catch a break."_

"Not ever. I was wondering if you could tell me what to do."

_"I'm not a licensed therapist. You can't come back and sue me for being wrong."_

I laughed and lightly tapped his cheek. "Yes, because I'll want all your oats and hay, wiseass."

_"Honestly, do as Schulz said. Use the time to relax."_

"That's the thing, I can't. Not if I don't know what made this woman reappear for this long."

_"A villain with a heart."_

"One in a million, right?" I sighed and paused in the strokes. "I just think killing our source of life is a tad bit stupid. There are many I would love to see wiped from the planet to help with their gene pools, but still. It isn't right."

_"But scaring them to death is fine."_

"Heart attacks are not my fault. They would have had one eventually. I sped up the process." I made a dismissive gesture. "I can't just lay back, knowing she has the capability of killing." I hesitated in starting the strokes again. "I had a nightmare of her."

He snorted and pulled back. _"That isn't something of the herd's doing."_

I shook my head. "I don't think it was one influenced by a Nightmare. This one was my subconscious. But what it wants to say, I don't know." The one thought that had been burning in the back of my mind burst out, "This couldn't have happened after Drago left? After I had time to sort things out again? It had to happen as I was starting to falter?"

He nuzzled me. _"There are many things we cannot control. Stand strong for your boy as I do for my girl. Though all children leave the nest at some point, they are not gone forever."_

Bellini was older than Drago, but took to him immediately following their introduction, creating the mental bond I had with Hessian, and the one Pitch had with Onyx. When she grew old enough, she left the stall Hessian and Onyx shared, preferring to have her own in a different area, closer to the other Nightmares. Though she always stuck out due to her green patterned fur, the Nightmares accepted her as one of them, completely unfazed by her mixed heritage. Hessian had already let his daughter go many years in the past, but what he said was true. Drago was going to live in my old home in Germany. The deed would always… end up missing somehow whenever someone tried to claim the land. And I left a nasty spirit there to keep squatters away. There were the occasional freaky teens who wanted to have sex in the haunted house, but besides that, it had remained uninhabited for almost twenty years.

_"You should sleep before your daughter wakes."_

"Any sleep I gain now would be in vain if interrupted." She hadn't been knocking on our door as often lately, but it was still often enough that I could expect a sharp rapping bringing me out of sweet dreams. Especially when it would be days we'd only find release on the dream plane. More than once he and I had gone unfinished, making us very irritable those nights. The nightmares might have, and I hesitate to say, been a bit too angry for what some children could stand.

_"Onyx said her master is waking Evilyn early to leave. She says he worries, especially when you become distant. He has fears as well, Serah."_

I had been running my hand through his wild black mane while he spoke, but I froze upon hearing the words. "What?" I hadn't noticed… I had just been so tired when he would come home.

He tipped his head. _"You didn't know?"_ When I shook my head he snorted. _"Onyx will have my throat for this."_

"I… I wasn't even aware I was acting strange." My heart picked up. "I wasn't like this with Drago. I wasn't a mess, staying home all the time."

_"You're worried since she hasn't found her center. She hasn't found a base for her abilities, nor has she truly found an ability that suits her. Drago developed the magic at four, and you're worried Evilyn won't have magic."_ He nosed my cheek. _"You've all but told me your fears. So you stay home, hoping one day she'll show something. A slip in her shape. A control over a Nightmare. Stalking through shadows on her own."_ He pulled back. _"Even if she doesn't gain anything, would she be any less your daughter?"_

"Of course not. She still has great abilities in her artwork, and her carving. She can live on her own. She's already shown great interest in living amongst the pumpkins." I let out a light laugh at the thought. "Silly, but fitting I suppose. I've already shown her how to mix a chemical to keep the pumpkins forever. She can carve all year round to her heart's content and keep it for Halloween." I shrugged and smiled. "It's her dream to be a master carver."

Hessian let out his snorting chuckle again. _"A perfect dream for a budding artist."_ He shifted. _"Leave her in our care more often. Go out and gather fear from the source again."_

I did miss the fresh fear. It was more potent than what was provided in the stone. "What about the kuchisake?"

_"There's nothing that can be done about that for now. Even if she reappears, there isn't anything we can do safely. They only were lucky once. Keep her out of your mind. Focus on other things. Go out. You've been cooped up in here too long."_

I grinned and patted the bridge of his nose. "See? Was it so hard to tell me what to do, old friend?"

He bobbed his head. _"You tricked me."_

I stuck my tongue between my teeth and grinned. "I'm quite good at it, aren't I?" I waggled my brows as he let out a brash neighing laugher.

_"Once again, I bow to your deceits."_ He bowed his head and licked my nose. As sophisticated as he was, he was still an animal. _"Now got to bed."_

"I've heard that more and more these days." I rubbed his nose. "Return to your wife. I've kept you away long enough."

He grunted and retreated back into his stall where I heard his weight shifting again, and the ethereal nicker of his Nightmare wife. It always made me grin at how it worked out so well when Hessian had formed as a stallion.

Even though he had helped me with my mind just the slightest, I still took the same long route to my bedroom. I still had things to sort through my head. Though knowing I could sleep for as long as I wanted to, I did hasten my pace. Nothing stopped me the entire way up, and I managed to slip behind the door without any word of something being off in some way. I slid beneath the sheets again, being careful not to disturb him again. It took a little coaxing, but sleep did eventually come.

I wasn't prepared to be unable to escape my nightmares.


	7. Chapter 7

7.

I knew Hana needed a break. She had been staying home for so long, trying to help Evilyn develop. I understood her worries and fears, but it should not have drained her so much. Evilyn could be a handful. The child meant well, but enough was enough. She was old enough to start going out with at least one of us. She had minimal abilities, only with her artistic talent when she made pumpkins with Hana. My plan for that night would be to show her she could create things. I knew she could; the signs were there.

I slipped out of bed, finding my pants from before. Somehow they were thrown across the room in our rare time alone physically. That was another thing I wanted to correct. I loved my daughter, but I loved my wife as well. I only had enough energy in my resources for so many people after filling the stone for Hana and another for Evilyn, as well as gathering fear for myself. I missed the nights she would help me with corrupting dreams and terrifying the living. I missed the passion she had. She once possessed such creativity, some of her scares would always reignite the attraction I had for her.

I adjusted the fabric of my coat before I left, seeing it merge with my skin from the corner of my eye. I paused in the doorway as the sheets shifted behind me. I heard her let out a soft sigh as she settled back down. The light of the fire gave a strange glow to her side. I could barely remember ever seeing her as just a student. She had been promising as a creature like me, and when I finally breeched the last boundary, testing how far she would let me go, it had been worth it. The two months of sexual tension had made it better than I imagined it would, even though I had to restrain myself.

I had given her the option to run, and I thought she would have. When she stood her ground, and even called me by a pet name, I fell hard for her confidence. She wasn't afraid of me. The face that terrified children for eons didn't deter her. Not even my kinks turned her off. They did the polar opposite. As it turned out, she had her own once she had broken out of her shell completely, which let me learn a few weaknesses I wasn't aware I had.

I was still able to be the foulest creature of the night. The being of shadows and nightmares combined. I was still king of my domain, but I had accepted the balance as well. I didn't approve, but to keep the peace, I went along with it. I helped when beings fouler than I emerged with wicked intentions of slaughtering humans. Those were things that even I do not approve of in the realm of night.

I gently opened Evilyn's door as I came in front of it, being as quiet as I could. Within my sight, the child slept on, holding the very old bear we had once stolen for Drago. Against her legs slept her irritating idea of a pet. The cat was too quiet, too crafty for its own good. It woke first and stretched against Evilyn's legs, waking her immediately. She squinted her eyes. "Daddy? What time is it?"

"Don't worry about time. We're going on a field trip tonight, just you and me."

She sat up and rubbed at her eyes in a feeble attempt to brush off the residual Dreamsand. She tossed the bear onto Meeko as she got out of bed. The animal only grunted and went back to sleep.

"I'll wait downstairs for you." I left her to dress herself, retreating to the center of my lair, where the iron globe stood still. The lights still remained unchanged. I folded my hands behind my back, keeping my gaze on Japan. I knew there was more than my globe was telling me. The belief was still there. The lights only went out when a child grew too old to believe in any of us, though it didn't stay dim for long. Another child would be born and take over that light, creating the endless cycle of glittering.

I glanced up as I heard approaching footsteps, watching Evilyn come near from upstairs. "Where are we going?"

"Anywhere we can. You're going to make your own Nightmare, just like Onyx."

Her face fell and she looked down at the ground. "But Daddy, I can't…"

I leaned down and held her shoulder. "It's time I told you a secret. Do you know how long it took me to form the Nightmares?" She shook her head. "Hundreds of years. It took Drago ten years to tap into his most powerful abilities. It took your mother six months to create Hessian and the Shadowbats." She looked at me again and I smiled, making one show up on her face as well.

She surprised me by putting her arms around my neck. "I'll try. Just because you think I can." She held on and looked at me. "Why is Mommy not coming?"

"Your mom needs a break. From all of us. Not even Hessian is allowed to bother her at this point." She hadn't been sleeping lately, on top of it all. Her mind wouldn't stop racing, and I couldn't continue to give her my Dreamsand. Any chance to let her sleep naturally was one I enforced entirely. Sometimes to the point where I would let her sleep alone and take residence in the den below, lest I wake her and keep her awake for another innumerous amount of hours. "And you need more time with me to develop your abilities. It might help you with more instruction outside the lair, amongst the humans."

She let go and I stood. "Do you really think I can scare a human?"

I chuckled and let her take my hand. "I know so." I whistled for Onyx, allowing the 'mare to materialize beneath us, something Evilyn always loved. I used the sands to open a portal to the Void. Onyx jumped forward immediately, taking us anywhere she wanted to go.

* * *

Hours later gave way to a bit of progress. She had managed to make a boy wet his bed, and she manipulated her first dream. She even absorbed a bit of the fear from the source for the first time, and she found she preferred it. Good news for us all on that one. I would only have to use the stones to gather extra fear, for days that Mom and Dad were not quite ready for bed yet, in the sense of sleep.

I could tell the strain of finding her abilities was starting to grow on her. "One more try, Lyn. Then we can go home."

She nodded and crept up to a sleeping girl. She frowned and cocked her head to the side, observing the dream. "What are they doing?"

I narrowed my eyes at the Dreamsand, taking note that the sleeping child was an adolescent. The figures represented a male and a female. I assumed it was her and a crush or a boyfriend. Her figure leaned between the male's legs. That's all they were doing. A loving embrace from that boy was the girl's sweetest dream. "Giving her a dream."

Her lips pressed together in thought. She stuck her finger through the male's chest, swirling the sands around her digit. She closed her eyes, trying to gain more focus. I could see her strain in effort as the sands took the shape of a horse, similar to Onyx.

I let out a breath I hadn't known I restrained. "Lyn, look. You made one."

She hesitantly cracked one open. They both shot open when she saw the billowing shadow Nightmare weaving through the air in front of her. She laughed a bit. "Daddy, I did it!"

"You did. Now make sure it will take to you."

She nodded and held out her hand, keeping a bit of distance from the creature. She let it close the space, deciding if it would accept her or not. I held my breath again as the creature took longer than it should have to decide. When it finally closed the space and nosed her hand, I cackled louder than I should have and woke the girl.

She looked around with bleary eyes that widened the moment she looked at me. Her mouth moved a few times, but no sound came out.

I grinned, showing my teeth. "Boo."

She tried rolling out of bed away from me, but only came face to face with my daughter and her new Nightmare. Evilyn shared my grin, and sent the girl scrambling out of bed the long way, tripping over her sheets on the way out of her room, screaming about the Boogeyman being in her room.

I chuckled and looked back to Evilyn, who was now petting the ever-moving mane of the Nightmare. "What is its name?"

"He says Dusk."

"A male, huh?"

"That's what he says."

Which meant Hessian could finally have a break with all the other Nightmares harassing him. It was fitting. After all, Drago and I had mares and Hana had a stallion. It made sense Evilyn would have a male. "Keep focus on him then. Bond for awhile. The more you bond, the larger he will become. But don't do so now. Wait until we're back in the lair, so he doesn't get too big for Onyx."

She nodded and held the horse close. We both looked to the hallway as the teenager screeched to wake her parents up. "This is when we leave, right?"

"Usually. Keep a good hold on Dusk." I called for Onyx again, opening a portal back to home before the girl could get her parents in her room. The 'mare ran as fast as she could through the Void, tossing her head. Evilyn sat secured between me and the saddle nose where she held on fast to the leather, Dusk between her arms.

She didn't slow down until she emerged from the other side of the Void, leaving us in the center of the lair again. I got off of her and helped Evilyn down. "Now straight to bed with you. We've been gone all night here. And you need time to raise Dusk."

For once she didn't even fight me. She raced up the stairs, already speaking with Dusk on the way. I waited until I heard her door close before I dismissed Onyx for the day. I wasn't tired, but I didn't want to leave again. I sank into the shadows, emerging in front of Drago's door. It was dark behind the barrier, but I knocked anyway. He didn't answer, meaning he still hadn't returned from his own runs. He had been slowly taking things to the lair in Germany, to make the transition a little easier. Some days he would stay there, hoping that would help with the adjustment. Upon learning he had found himself a little human playmate, I had to wonder how many times he had been alone in that house, and how often he had company. I shook my head and stepped away from the door. My son was a grown man. He was allowed to do whatever it was he wanted. If he wanted to abuse the fear high, he could. If he wanted to drink, who was I to stop him? And if he wanted a woman….

This would be harder than I thought. I had never raised a child to the age of letting them go like this. I slipped through the shadows, entering my room as quietly as I could. The fire had dropped to nothing, but instead of being huddled under the blankets like she usually would from the cold, the sheets lay in a tangled mess around her ankles. Her arms were held over her head, under her pillow, as if she had passed out mid-stretch.

I moved closer to adjust the blankets, but hesitated as I saw her expression held in very mild pain. Something wasn't right. I froze completely as my gaze fell to her legs. In the light of the fire I saw shines over her socks. Upon closer inspection, I saw they were from slashes that had been made right through the cloth. My heart stopped. "Hana?" I grabbed her hand from under the pillow, dropping it immediately when I saw fresh bruises forming on her knuckles. "What the hell…" I pressed my fingers to her temples, trying to sort through the dark shadows taking up her mind. A sharp jolt of electricity made me pull away Before my eyes, handprints bruised themselves into her shoulders, and she whimpered in her sleep.

I had no idea what to do.

And that scared me more than anything in any world I had survived. I conjured a Nightmare from scratch. "Come on," I urged it, trying to keep it pure of my own fear. Once it sprang to life, I kept its focus on me. "Find…" I choked on the name and cleared my throat as the horse tilted its head. My voice found its calm. "Find the one known as Mother Nature. Relay to her it is urgent that she comes." I sent the Nightmare on its way. If I couldn't access the darkness of anyone's mind, let alone Hana's, it was something wrong with the balance, something out of all our hands but my eldest child's.

I went to my side of the bed, pulling off my boots as I walked. Once on the mattress I gently shifted her body to me, laying her head in my lap so I could still try to sift through her mind. I used the shadows to pull the blankets back around her, trying to keep her still through her dreams.

I put my fingers to her temples again, hesitating for a moment. Again as I tried to enter her mind I was shocked. I clenched my teeth and hissed, but kept my hands to her skin. If anything, the contact had to help. She flinched and whimpered through her forever damaged windpipe. If I couldn't enter her dream, it meant she wasn't dreaming. She was sleeping, I knew that much, but whatever held her in sleep was not dreams. I could only hope she could hear what I would say to keep her calm and still.

And I prayed my eldest daughter was willing to cooperate and aid her villain of a father.


	8. Chapter 8

8.

She felt the shift in the air before the dark aura surrounded her in the forest. She stopped and turned, her dress twirling with her. "Don't be afraid. I know who you are still."

A grunt sounded from the trees before the shadows shifted into the moonlight with a hiss. Tendrils of shadows snapped from the mass, and countless yellow eyes stared unblinkingly at her. "It's getting so hard to hold shape," he said, his voice coming from all over, in several layers.

She took a few cautious steps forward. "I'm afraid I've found nothing. Father made you a unique case in our world."

"Yippe. What am I suppose to do? My birthday is soon. I have to make an appearance in front of at least some people. And Chloe…" The eyes shifted away. "I can't do that to her. Now I understand why Dad never let Mom see this."

She took off her emerald gloves and knelt before the mass of shadows, protected somehow by the snapping rogue tendrils. With the gloves in her lap, she put her hands to the mass, focusing her magic into the shadows. She gave a few deep breaths, and the mass pulsed with each one. Soon, he shifted to the form of a young man, his hair slicked out of his face, bringing full attention to the gold irises framed by dark skin. She opened her eyes and smiled. "There's my brother again."

He looked at his hands and pulled at his loose shirt to examine it. "So I am."

"I've sealed up the darkness for a few more days. Without extreme, life threatening stress, it should last past your birthday. Then when you're in Germany, we can work on this. And then Chloe can move in."

He looked guilty. "Can I even do that to her? That's a big move. She says she has to look for schools in Germany. She's been learning the language just for me. But… Em, the aging."

She gave a sad smile. "MiM has been known to grant the wildest of wishes. For now, don't believe it impossible for an immortal to fall in love with a mortal. Look at Father and your mother."

Drago frowned. "Mom said they didn't admit anything more than a platonic relationship only a year after she was turned. Dad says the same thing. He didn't love her, not at first."

The smile grew. "He'd like you to believe that. He'd like many to believe that. He may not have loved her, but he did have an influence in her upbringing. He just may not know it."

Drago shook his head. "That hardly makes sense."

She arched a brow. "Doesn't it? She was one of the very few females in her village that dared to read more than the bible. She grew up hearing noises in the shadows of her room, and she found they were comforting. She started to question things that said the darkness was evil. In that, she started to question everything."

Drago waved a hand in defeat. "How the hell do you know this?"

"I'm a lot older than your Mother. I have been observing Father for a long time, making sure he's kept to the balance. His… interest in her, I suppose you could say, interested me. In the end, it wasn't surprising MiM did what he did. If it kept Father calm, it was a welcomed gift to us all."

He grinned. "So what was my mom like as a kid?"

"Rebellious, hard working, loved to read."

"Just like Lyn, like Dad said."

She nodded. She wanted to say more, but frantic ethereal neighing caught her attention.

"Em?"

She held out her hands as a small Nightmare pranced in her palms, relaying its message. She frowned. "But I can't—" She stopped as it kept going. "I don't owe him—" She paled a bit. "Understood. I'll be there as soon as I can." She let the Nightmare return home as she stood.

"Em, what is it? He knows you don't want to see him. It has to be important if he's contacting you."

She nodded and whistled into the woods. "He needs my presence in your home." Branches snapped as a deep growl permeated the darkness. "Something is wrong with your mother. Something he cannot fix."

Drago stood still as a large wolf emerged from the woods, allowing Mother Nature to rest on its back. "What's wrong with Mom?"

"The Nightmare didn't know. Said she was sleeping, but bleeding and bruising." She watched as Bellini emerged from the shadows beneath Drago. "Your way home would be faster than mine."

He nodded and tossed her a shadowstone, one he kept to have handy at all times. "Do not let that leave contact with your skin. That is your link to the Void." He opened the portal in front of them, leading the way home.


	9. Chapter 9

9.

A thunderous slam made me jerk, sending pain flashing through every nerve in my body. I clenched my jaws together, letting a hiss between my teeth. Only darkness met my eyes when I tried to open them. The glow let me see cloth as I grew more aware of my surroundings. My arms were restrained above my head, keeping me kneeling on the floor. I winced and sucked in breath when I shifted, feeling something like pebbles digging into my flesh.

White hot pain flashed through me, coming from my thighs. I couldn't hold back the resulting scream. Five more cuts followed, each coming right when the previous pain would start to fade. Tears soaked through the cloth over my eyes. My heart pounded against my chest as my mind blanked. Finally, I broke. I begged for it to end, and end it did.

Something took my shoulders and pushed down, applying pressure against the pebbles. I fought against the hold, but only managed to bruise my knuckles against the wall I had been strung to.

"You are a hideous beast, aren't you?"

I stilled at the female Asian accent, my blood running cold.

"I'll make you beautiful."

I felt cold steel press to my cheek. This couldn't happen. She was not a creature known to be a dream walker. I flinched as the tip of the blade pierced my skin, and I hated the pitiful whimper that escaped me.

"It's my first time on this plane, but I think this shall work well enough."

I swallowed. "B-before you… Where did you get this power?"

"I've always possessed the power. I never had the inspiration to develop the skill required. Your son made me learn more about your family, which let me know just who to damage to break him."

I hissed through my teeth as she pressed me to the pebbles. "You seem to have no idea of my husband's power."

"But I do. This room is of my doing. This realm is mine to manipulate. The Boogeyman's domain is of dreams. This is no dream." I couldn't read her. Her voice held nothing. Not even a grin. "This is real. Your soul is here with me, extracted from your precious dreams. And so it shall remain until you provide what I want."

The pebbles split skin, forcing a short cry out of me. "What do you want from me?" The pressure stopped and the knife vanished from my skin. I could only hear my heavy breathing and the pounding of my heart. Everything stilled. I licked my lips, straining my ears. My voice cracked, forcing the permanent rasp to grow harsher. "What do you want me to do?"

"Die."

* * *

I looked to the window as the Nightmare faded through the glass pane, my attention caught by her call. Not a moment later the Void opened behind it, allowing Drago and my eldest daughter to enter on their own, both of their mounts dissipating on their arrival. I frowned but found no point in wondering what he was doing with his sister.

"Before I help, I'm not doing this for you," she said, stepping forward to examine my wife. "I'm doing this for her."

It still stung that, while she had forgiven me for our centuries-long misunderstanding, she did not want anything to do with me. I couldn't blame her. She was the keeper of balance, and I had the potential to screw with just that, which I had almost done in the past more times than I'd care to admit to. I nodded and allowed her to assess what was keeping Hana under, and what was causing all of her growing injuries. I felt more and more helpless with each one that showed. I glanced over to Drago, seeing his terrified features.

"Dad, what's wrong with Mom?"

I could only shake my head. "That's why your sister is here. It's out of my hands."

"But she's only sleeping, isn't she?"

I saw my daughter freeze the slightest bit. "Her soul is gone," she said, placing her fingers to Hana's temples as I had tried to do. "Everything else is here, her thoughts, her memories, but the soul itself is missing."

Which made sense as to why I couldn't sift through her mind to access her dreams. She wasn't sleeping. She wasn't even there with us. I took a short, steadying breath. "Can you find it?"

"There's a faint trail. I can try."

"Dad, there's blood on the sheets. Is she bleeding?"

I could practically taste the fear he was emitting. I looked where he was pointing, and sure enough, blood was stained through the light sheets where her knees were resting. I caught Emily Jane's eye and nodded. "Find her."

She took a breath and closed her eyes, keeping completely still, her fingers still at Hana's temples.

I looked at my son, seeing him appear almost ill. "Drago, you shouldn't see this."

"But she's my mom. I can't just leave." He sat on the bed and took her hand, ignoring the bruises. "I'm staying here. I'm not a kid anymore, Dad. Don't treat me like one."

Arguing would solve nothing. Instead, I nodded, allowing him to do as he wished. He was right. He wasn't a child any longer. A whimper from my lap drew my attention back to Hana, and my heart threatened to stop when I saw blood start to show on her cheek, not far from her lips.

"I have her," Emily Jane muttered, her eyes still closed, but her face more strained. "This will not be pleasant. Her soul is fairly damaged."

"Can you heal it?"

She shook her head. "I can only heal the physical. Once the soul is damaged, it can never be repaired. Not by my magic."

I pressed my lips together, another thought crossing my mind. "Can you keep her asleep?"

She nodded. "That would most likely be the best course of action, so she does no physical harm to herself. I'll heal her wounds while I still have the connection maintained. When I bring her soul back, you may enter the dream plane to calm her down. She has been through much."

"But will she be alright?" Drago asked.

"Yes, for now." She cycled a breath in her nose and out her mouth. "Whatever had her is strong, resilient. I'm having a hard time shaking it."

"Keep trying," I urged, prepared to enter her dreams the moment I could. What started to eat at me was the knowledge that her soul had been hurt. Hana was not a weak woman. While she could hold her own well enough in a fight, it was her spirit that kept her going. Without it, I don't think I would have kept her around as long as I had. I sure as hell wouldn't let her take control of me from time to time. To be able to break that… I didn't like the odds piled against us.

"There!"

At the same time Hana drew in a heavy breath, I replaced Emily Jane's fingers with mine, tapping in to my wife's dreams. I staggered against the resulting pain as the dream became corporeal, feeling my muscles grow taut against the discomfort. Her form came into view through the dim lights.

She panicked and backed away before she saw who I was, though it took a moment for the fear to disappear from her face. "Oh God, Baby."

She never used that endearment unless she was terrified. She got to her feet with such difficulty I hastened my last few steps so she wouldn't have to go far. Once close enough she gripped on to the sleeves of my coat and pressed her whole weight to me, forcing my arms to keep her closer. "I've got you. You're safe here." Her fingers dug deeper as I felt her break. "Nothing can get you again."

I stayed in her dream, listening to her recount the details of her attack, and keeping her shock at bay. I didn't know what else to do besides treat it as one of the nights she would feed from far too much fear and have a bad fear high. Talking her through it and making sure she wasn't alone always worked. I made her laugh a few times, bringing her back to how she always was. My muscles began to relax, the pain easing away. Over the course of the dream, I leaned against a conjured wall with her beside me, laying her head across my legs. "Thank you, Oogie." I looked down at her, seeing her gaze locked on my chest, apparently fascinated with the motion of my breathing. "I know how hard it is for you to talk to her, let alone see her."

"You're more important than that. It's something between my daughter and I, nothing with you or the children. You have provided no reason for her to hate you."

"But she forgave you."

"It doesn't mean she wants anything to do with her evil father."

"Just because you're not on the side of good shouldn't mean anything. I'm not much more innocent than you with what you've done on this planet."

I smiled and leaned my head back. She had no idea just what I had done in the hundred years we were apart. I had been a mess for awhile, redefining who I was, trying to deal with the growing madness. I was more guilty of nasty things than she realized. She was far from innocent herself, but I doubt she had done some of the things I had done. She hadn't started a movement that had hundreds of innocent women killed accused of spells and enchantments. I had converted human children into Fearlings to do my bidding. I had sent people who crossed me on endless cycles of Nightmares until I conveniently remembered to stop them. I terrified humans into an early grave by intentionally giving heart attacks. These were just the ones I cared to admit to.

"Oogie?"

"Hm?"

"Am I okay? I mean, my body. Is it okay?"

I frowned, still not looking at her. "It should be fine. Why?"

"I'd like to go back. I'm alright."

I nodded. "You may feel a slight pinch."

She let out an amused huff and sat up. "After all that, a slight pinch is a welcomed and pleasant sensation."

I chuckled. "I can provide something a little more pleasant once you're ready for it again."

She purred, sending a shiver down my spine. "I'll think about it."

How she remained so tantalizing after centuries with her wasn't hard to see. As I had said, she had a very strong spirit. One strong enough to leave me still chasing after her like a wild animal despite the years. I pulled out of the dream plane, finding my way back to my body. When I opened my eyes, I saw Hana had not stirred just yet. Drago hadn't left, though my daughter had. I did not expect any less.

The boy jolted when he realized I was awake again. "It she alright?"

I nodded. "How long did it take?"

"Two hours. It's only ten." He rubbed his face, waking himself up. "Em left once the injuries were healed up."

"What were you doing with her to begin with?"

"I was out and ran into her. We were talking when the Nightmare found her. We decided I had the fastest route home."

Some details in his story didn't hold up, but I didn't have the energy to push the issue. As Mother Nature, it was impossible to have such a chance meeting with her. Not unless she wanted to be found. Not wanting an argument, I assured him his mother would be fine and sent him off to his room. In reliving fatherhood, I learned to pick up on his tells when he was lying. His face went flat, void of emotion. He thought being unreadable was an advantage. I was only confused on why he was lying about spending time with his sister. He had discovered the family ties when he was fourteen, and had spent time with her in the past. He had never felt the need to hide anything like that from me before.

Hana groaned and moved finally, hissing a bit in pain. "You told me my body was fine, you liar."

"It's better than it was. You're just sore."

She tried sitting up, but froze against something.

"Hana?"

She flipped the sheets, seeing the dark stain. I was able to see light scars on her ashen skin through tears in her socks, resembling pebble marks. It was an old torture device I had seen used in the past. It was a slow, dull torture, unless force was occasionally applied.

"You're alive, at least."

She nodded and stood, allowing her nightgown to cover the slashes on her thighs. Without a word she leaned over her dresser, pulling out fresh clothes.

"Are you alright?"

She nodded again, but said nothing as she entered the bathroom door next to her side of our bed. I heard water start to run not long after. I originally decided to let her have time to sort out her thoughts by herself. She needed it. I could only do so much. I was more concerned with why the kuchisake-onna was interested in my son so desperately that she'd try to kill Hana to get to him. He wasn't the one to deal the killing blow, so it couldn't have been a grudge concept. Did she resent him for getting away, since he was her target all along? She was a ghost made of pure vanity. Being shot down and denied her usual game would have dealt a strong blow to her ego. If that was the case, I'd have to tread carefully in the dream plane to find her. I couldn't risk my family and do nothing.

A soft sob reverberated in the bathroom, causing my nerves to jolt. I shook my head and got up from the bed, pulling my coat from my shoulders. My wife was many things, but a good liar was not one of them.


	10. Chapter 10

10.

The warm stream of water could only distract me for so long. I had come so close to being taken from this world again. If my soul hadn't been found when it was, I could only imagine what that horrible ghost would do. I reigned in my fear, cycling my breaths as calmly as I could to ebb the shakes. The waterfall effect was only so calming, especially against the dull ache of where my injuries had landed.

"Hana?"

I jumped. I hadn't heard him open the door. "What is it?" I couldn't stop the shake that edged its way through the rasp.

"You're a horrible liar you know."

I was so thrown by his answer, I couldn't stop the laugh that escaped me. I watched him come around the wall that kept the shower private, still nodding. "I know I am. I am fine enough to shower alone though."

"With irritated eyes and a defensive posture like that? Not likely."

I hadn't noticed I was holding on to my arms in such a way it looked like I was trying to shrink away. "I thought you'd be exhausted."

"I am. Doesn't make much difference now. However, I will leave if you want." He held on to my arms, making me relax. "What will it be?"

I shifted slightly under the water, holding on to his hips. I absentmindedly trailed one of my hands up his chest and rested against his skin. I followed the motion, letting him run his hands over my arms, our noses pressed together since my horns got in the way of anything else. I leaned up and took his lips gently, feeling him press back. Small steals became more frantic, forcing my arms around his neck and my hips sought out his. He growled against my lips. I pulled his lower one between my teeth, teasing it, coercing a sharp sigh from his nose.

He nudged me back into the wall, never letting up for a moment. He ran his hands over my breasts, sending my senses reeling as his calloused palms grazed my nipples. The water created friction, setting my sex ablaze at each pass. He made me whimper in pleasure. He made me forget the worse horrors of the world. At least for then, I wasn't uncertain of anything. He lifted my thigh, leading me to rest my weight against a crevice in the wall.

All he had to do was lightly touch me to make me realize I wasn't going to last. His fingers tested different paces and pressure, each stroke winding up a coil in me. If he was teasing, or genuinely wasn't sure what would work, I wasn't sure. I broke away from him as he found just the right combination, and I let him know he had as my nails dug into his back and I bit his neck, quick, sharp cries escaping me at every pass he made. The coil snapped, sending my teeth farther into his skin while my throat went dry and my body exploded in pleasure. He refused to let up, making me cry out into his skin as my hips rolled against him and my nails dug so deep he had to be bleeding. Only when I nudged his arm to tell him no more did he stop.

He took my hips in his hands and turned me around, so I could lean forward on the wall. Not a moment later he rubbed his cock against me, slipping inside with a deep growl of pleasure. He leaned against my back, one arm around my chest and the other teasing my clit while he claimed me with rare patience. For once we were quiet, apart from the occasional varying sounds of pleasure. Nothing had to be said. I only wanted to forget, even if it was for just that moment.

I leaned back and took his lips with mine again. He moved his arm from my clit to keep my chin tilted to him. The shift in the angle made each thrust pleasurably painful. My brows furrowed as I pulled back and moaned against his lips. He let out a possessive growl and pushed on my shoulder. I pressed my forearms to the wall, directed by his grip. My fingers tried to grip the flat wall as his pace increased. I couldn't keep up with the pleasure. I mewled desperately against each one of his strokes, loving the feel of him around my body. Even when he lost control, or was my master commanding me, I still felt safe in his arms. He was the creature all children, and most adults, feared these days. There wasn't much in existence that would screw with him. Even Death had started to view him with trepidation and respect instead of useless lust. Though that would happen to anyone if they had been having nightmares for a few days in a row. He had sealed the deal by leaving the real Nightmare in the cell with her. I couldn't complain. I had my Boogeyman to myself, and the delivery of spirits for Halloween each year since then came more swiftly than ever.

He stopped and had me turn to face him again. "On your back, love." He pushed my hair out of the way and kissed my neck. "Let me see you."

I did as he asked once he let me go, laying out of the way of the water's stream. He kneeled between my legs, pushing them towards me by running his hands from my thighs to my knees. He slipped back inside me, making me gasp as he filled me up again.

He groaned and his face finally relaxed completely as he chuckled. "Don't do that, Serah," he purred against my ear as I relaxed around him again. "Not unless you want this to end."

"I've had mine," I muttered, mentally begging him to move again. If reaching his release was what it took for him to move, I didn't care.

"If that's the case…" He took his time building up his momentum again, though at least this time I could hold on to him while the pleasure grew in intensity again. I rested my legs against his waist, letting him free his arms. One held on to my thigh while the other held him over me. He moaned into my chest as he reached a certain pace and faltered for a moment.

I ran my fingers over his slender face, resting the tips against his hairline. He kissed the swell of my breasts, shocking a small moan from me as my head tilted back. "Oogie…mm…"

He cackled against my flesh, slowing down for a moment. His gaze stayed on my chest as he started to play with my breasts. "I take it you're feeling better."

I nodded, meeting his eyes. "Better than showering alone." I locked my legs around his waist, pushing him closer. "I'll feel even better if you keep up, old man."

His grin never left. "I'll have you recall, I have the body of a man in his thirties. I can keep up just fine, miss 'I'm forever twenty'." He didn't let me retort. He showed me just how much stamina he still had.

My arms wrapped around his back and I held on to his shoulders, muffling my cries into his flesh. I had designed the bathroom to be fairly strong when I came back to live here almost twenty years ago. However, I was never willing to test how far my screams would travel. I felt my walls flex against him, sending the first of many small shivers through my body. His resilient pace gave me no chance to let the shivers fade. They came quicker, more intense each time. I stole his lips again, holding him in place gently as I kissed him like a lifeline.

His hand rested against my throat lightly as he shifted for balance. He mainly kept my chin tilted so he could keep us together. I couldn't stop my hips from meeting his strokes as the shivers transformed into sharp flashes emitting from my core. I knew he felt each shiver as well. Each time I felt it wash over me, he moaned into our kiss. The flashes made my head light and my muscles tingled like a bath of heated champagne. I could almost taste his passion as his tongue fought with mine. I loved how he always tasted like sin and shadows. It was a unique sweetness that could corrupt the purest soul if given the chance. Those lips were the source of his seduction. His voice only aided them. I let my fingers run down his throat, following muscle, bone, and sinew all the way down to his chest for just a moment. I pulled away only for a moment, just to watch his lean muscles work. He noticed where my gaze had dropped to. He chuckled and tapped my cheek. "My eyes are up here, dearest."

I hummed into his throat and giggled. "I catch you staring all the-mm, all the time!"

"Fair enough point." I saw his eyes give away his tell. He stole my lips back as he moaned against them, his hips jerking out of rhythm. His fingers dug into my thigh as he held himself up again.

He went faster and harder, making my walls grip him tight. The friction of his thrusts against the hold did me in, sending my vision out the door. I wasn't alone. Right as it started to fade he groaned against my lips and he pulled out to spill on the floor of the shower. I couldn't catch my breath, nor could I feel my limbs. My sex felt so sensitive, any brush of his skin threatened to rile me up again. My head felt so light as I watched him breathe just as much as I. "Now what was it that I came in here for?"

He looked up to the water, which was slowly getting colder. "I'm assuming to wash away what happened."

My giddy feeling faded. It was so easy to forget… "Oogie?"

"Hm?"

"Why would this spirit want to kill me to get to Drago? Why would she have a fixation on him? That's not something she does."

He shook his head. "She's never been struck down like this before. I couldn't say for sure what it is." He pulled me with him as he leaned back, tugging me to straddle his legs. "We'll have to be wary until Schulz finds an answer."

"I couldn't possibly sleep now. I'll be up for awhile." Truth be told, even if he stayed with me every night in my dreams, I wouldn't want to sleep again for as long as I could. "Has anything happened while I was out?"

I didn't have much time to check when I came back." His eyes brightened. "Evilyn tamed her own Nightmare."

I couldn't stop my shocked laugh. She had finally conquered an ability. "And her scaring tactics?"

"Rusty, but she managed to make a boy wet his bed."

I had to laugh again. "We're such odd parents, aren't we? Proud of our children, not for honorable achievements, but for scaring the shit out of anyone they can."

He grinned. "Oh woe is us, the lives we lead in the shadows."

"Boo-hoo," I mocked and laughed. "Now I only hope we find more abilities from her. Like the ability to stay out of Mommy and Daddy's room."

He snorted. "Soon, hopefully. She'll be so busy with that horse she won't have time to bother us. She'll bother him."

I rolled my eyes as his hands randomly rubbed my shoulders, making me grin at both things. "Finally. We can do things like this again and not have to worry about explaining what we're doing." I looked at my fingers. "I'm done, so says my skin."

He held me in place, wrapping his arms around my waist. "How are you now?"

I narrowed my eyes in confusion for a moment before it sunk in. "Souls take time to heal, if ever. I'll be alright, if I'm still immortal. So far as I know, the immortality is still intact."

"That's going nowhere."

"So no worries there." I let out an amused huff and pressed my nose to his. "I'm fine, Kozmotis. Don't lose sleep over me."

"This thing on my finger says I should. It's also saying I should slit the ghost's mouth clean open. And that we should get out because this water is now frozen."

I had forgotten he was taking the brunt of the stream and I laughed as I moved off him. He let the stream hit me, forcing a shocked squeak to interrupt my laugh. I scrambled to turn off the stream, all the while shouting curses at his laughing form. I shivered when the water shut off and he only snorted at me, hiding his smirk behind his curled index finger and resting against the other curled fingers. "And what are you laughing at?"

He shook his head, moving his hand just to say, "Nothing at all, love. I'm just laughing at the shivering form of the terrifying Halloween spirit. I'm shaking in fear. Oh don't even try that look."

My lip curled further than it had and he only threw a towel at me. "How is it you can be such a caring husband one moment, and then such an asshole one the next?"

He shrugged and grinned. "Just my charm, I guess." He waited for me to wrap the towel around my chest before tugging me forward. "You know I don't mean it."

I rolled my eyes. "Uh-huh. Sure."

"Really. I don't. You know how I act when I actually hate something."

Which was basically everything and everyone but us and a select few. I sighed. "Point taken. Ass."

"Mm, but I thought you liked my ass."

"That's besides the point." I frowned as shadows encased him, forming his clothes. "I thought you were done for now."

"I am. You're not. You'll need to regain your strength. I felt it while you were dreaming."

"But Evilyn—"

"Drago is home and more than capable of making sure his sister stays asleep. There is always night on this planet, no matter what time it is here. We can be quick." He adjusted his jacket and rolled his shoulders. "Besides, the horse will keep her attention long enough for us to slip back here. I doubt she'll notice even if we left for a whole day."

I bit my lip, but found no other excuses. Finally I could leave and scare on a day that wasn't Halloween. "Why don't we?"

He frowned. "Why don't we what?"

"Leave for a whole day. Follow the sunset like we used to until we both had our fills for days."

"I don't know. I was out for hours with Evilyn already."

I grinned. "Don't tell me your old age is getting to you. I thought you had the stamina of a man in his thirties, hm? I thought that was more than enough for a twenty-year-old girl."

"I know what game you're playing at." His smirk returned. "I never said no either." He nodded to my towel. "Get dressed. I'll leave a notice for Drago. Getting out will do you some good." He left me on my own, closing the door quietly behind him.

He was right. It had been so long since I had been out gathering fear from the source. It had been even longer since we had been by ourselves for a full day. We needed the time away. I needed the time, now more than ever. Now that I was alone, the silence started playing tricks on my ears. I kept hearing what sounded like faint breaths, soft whispers. I thought I heard shuffling, even when I stood perfectly still. My heart started to race. I clenched my eyes closed.

"God damn it Meeko! Every fucking time! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

Pitch shouting at our daughter's cat distracted me long enough to dress with numb and shaking fingers. As soon as I was dressed I went into our room and called for Vlad. I bit my thumbnail while I waited for him, my panic starting to mount again.

His large ears perked up as he materialized. "Hana? Is something wrong?"

"I just can't be alone right now. Don't ask. You'll find out eventually. Just… please, I can't be alone."

His concern grew, but he didn't ask questions. Instead he just kept a conversation going, just to keep my mind occupied. I discussed scaring ideas with him, plans for Drago's birthday, what we were going to do with his room, anything that came to mind. He even offered to help Drago keep Evilyn occupied if her attention somehow averted from her horse. I could always count on my first Shadowbat to be there when I needed him to be. I sat on the bed and let him rest in my lap like a common house pet. The only difference was the conversation we continued on while I was able to calm my nerves and pet his silky dark teal fur.

I only stopped as our door opened again, allowing Pitch to stand in the doorway, leaning on the doorframe. "Whenever you're ready."

I nodded and allowed Vlad to fly off ahead of me to his own devices. The panic that was pressing against my restraint before vanished as I came closer to his lithe frame. It was his aura. As the keeper of nightmares and terror, it made sense he'd be able to keep panic at bay, as well as cause it. I took his arm as he offered it like a gentleman, feeling the anxiety dissipate while he led me to the stables. If all I had to do to keep the fear away was stay by his side, it was something I could live with only for so long. We were still two different people at the end of the night. We had our own interests outside the ones we shared and built our relationship on. There were things we enjoyed doing on our own, away from each other and the children. It was what kept our bond healthy through the centuries. Longing really was a potent emotion when put into effect long enough. I could only hope Schulz would answer us soon with good news. I didn't know how long I could stay awake to fight.

Until then, I would enjoy the first full twenty-four hours alone with my husband since we jokingly recited vows in bed when I had found out I was pregnant with Evilyn. With how our realm functions, our vows were as good as official. As I've said, who would argue the King of Nightmares in the first place? His fingers encased mine. "I can read that fear as clear as if you were showing it to me on paper. I'm not going anywhere."

There were some days where I hated that ability of his, and then there were days I wouldn't trade it for anything else. This was one of those days. I held on to his arm as we entered the stables. "For how long?"

"Schulz is always prompt with his responses. It won't be much longer." He stopped by Onyx and Hessian's stall. "For now, look forward to chasing the sunset and spreading fear until you're so high with it you can't feel your toes again."

I huffed. "That was once." He chuckled as I pinched his arm. "You've done stupid shit while you were high as well."

"I'm not saying I haven't. I've done things that I thank my lucky stars you never have recorded me doing."

"Oh, like the time you streaked in my tower in Germany, saying pants were the work of the devil?"

He cleared his throat and looked away. "I was also a little drunk that time."

"Or the time you started giving me a lap dance to my music?"

"Also very drunk." He put an arm to my shoulders, opening the stall. "Let us just assume that most of the really stupid shit was aided by alcohol. The mild stupid things are what I mean."

"Aw, but it was kind of sexy."

"And I probably won't be that mix of drunk and high on fear again. Not for a long time, if ever." He chuckled as I went to fetch Hessian's saddle. "Besides, you've given me plenty of lap dances."

I shrugged. "I regret nothing." Hessian tossed his head in his form of a laugh while I fastened his saddle. "Besides, when you did it, you thankfully kept your pants on."

"What, you have an issue with my legs or something?"

I snorted. "No, I have an issue with the whole penis in the wind thing."

I had to look as he choked on his laughter while he got in Onyx's saddle. "Ok, I see your point. If I ever get to be that mix of inebriation, I'll keep my pants on. I've heard women find it sexier than anything else."

"Mhm." I nodded and mounted Hessian. "We like to guess just what's below those hip bones and pelvic muscles." I eyed the peak of his that showed from under his coat before instantly setting on his eyes. "And even if we know what's under the pants, it's still an anticipatory thing."

"Duly noted." He opened the Void. "It's going to be a long night, and there's plenty of kids to terrify. We'd best get started."


	11. Chapter 11

I had forgotten how good it felt to change my shape. To let go and have fun with my scares. I forgot how pleasing it was to hear shrieking as our victims ran in fright, fueled on by adrenaline. How had I gone so long without stretching my power’s muscles? I looked to my right as Pitch straightened from the shadows, a pack of children running in terror from what had been his distorted shadow on the wall growling ethereally at them. He cackled to the sky and I smiled.

How long had it been since I had seen him this happy?

When the screeches died away he caught my gaze, his wild grin still present. “Your turn, love.”

We had long ago abandoned gathering fear. We had both overfilled just enough to leave a pleasant tingle running through our systems. My grin lifted, showing my teeth. “Alright, big shot. Remember I’m a little out of practice here. Being a stay at home mom isn’t the most rewarding when it comes to scaring our children.”

“I suppose not. Don’t tell me you’ve run out of ideas already.”

“Not just yet.” I bit my lip and wandered around the corner. Across the street, a faint sound crossed my ears. “How about a wager?”

I looked at him as he immediately seemed intrigued. “A wager, hm? It’s been awhile since you’ve offered. What of?”

I nodded to an old warehouse, empty aboveground. I knew it was a ruse. “Who can end up clearing out the most likely drug-soaked, illegal orgy?”

“Do you have something against them?”

“I don’t like sharing.” I started my pace casually. “Imagine it. Everyone is drunk, drugged up, or just caught up in the moment. They’re all writhing together, so focused on their pleasure they won’t notice anything out of the ordinary. The music is too loud to hear anything besides what they’re doing. The darkness is essential to protect their anonymity, so there will be very little direct light to give away intrusion.”

“You’ve got my attention. What would you propose?”

“A subtle approach. They’re most likely already at their peak. Given the drugs they’ll be on, this might make it a little more difficult.” I turned and faced him. His grin said he loved the idea. “Though I know nothing is too hard for the big bad Boogeyman. I mean, he wouldn’t be intimidated by little old me, would he?”

He clicked his tongue and chuckled. “Trying to butter me up?”

“Is it working?”

“Always.” He crossed his arms. “I accept the wager, but let me sweeten that deal.”

“Oh?”

“Winner gets to relax at home, alone, no kids, only dead silence.”

“What’s the catch?”

“Loser collects fear for the winner and keeps the kids busy for the week.”

Oh he was good. “Alright. Let’s see it then. No holding back.”

“You know I never do, darling.”

A scream of terror resonated in the air, stopping us in our tracks. This wasn’t something I was willing to let go. I turned on my heel, racing towards the source. I didn’t care if he followed me. The scream had been desperate. I felt through the air around me, trying to find the source of the terror. My reach may have been weaker, but I still narrowed down the streets. I adjusted my course down a residential street. The source vanished. I stopped suddenly, my heart racing. Had I been too late?

“This way.” Pitch took up the scent and I followed close by.

“What happened?”

“She blacked out for a moment. You don’t want to know the rest.”

He could read, understand, and use fear. I could only sense a general sort, and an amount. My senses told me the fear was feminine, that it was desperate to live, and she couldn’t breathe due to the weight of the fright. He knew what was going on right now to make her feel all of that. I really didn’t want to know. He stopped us outside an open gate, where I heard muttering. He surprised me by drawing his scythe. It meant whatever it was, it wasn’t mortal. I drew my twin blades, adjusting my grip. We moved silently up the side of the house, keeping to the shadows.

The mortal girl I had heard was backed into a tree, frantically looking around her. “I don’t know how you know him, or how you know me, but I know about your kind.” She reached into her bag and pulled out a canister of salt.

I quirked a brow. Smart girl. It was then I realized where we were. It instantly dawned on me who she was. Before my eyes a spirit formed, next to the girl. A pair of scissors were drawn.

“I will make you more beautiful!”

The next thing I knew I was sprinting forward. I had caught the spirit off guard. I swiped one of my scythes through the weapon wielding arm, and followed up with a blow from the other, aimed right across the throat. Instead of falling, it faded away. After a moment of silence, I dropped my guard.

I looked to the girl, feeling her still shaking with fear. “Are you alright?”

She didn’t seem like she knew what to do. Her face went paler, if it were possible. She looked even worse when Pitch stood beside me.

I frowned at her. “You said you know about her kind. Our kind. Tell me, do you know a boy named Drago?”

Her lips pressed together in a fine line and she nodded.

“Ah, I see.” He had caught on as well. “The human our boy has taken to.”

She still seemed a bit frightened so I smiled. “Don’t worry, whatever Drago has said, we’re not too terrible.” I jerked my thumb to Pitch. “And this one doesn’t eat wayward children.”

“Not that you know of.”

I elbowed his ribs.

“I’m sorry, it’s just…” She gave a nervous laugh, but she at least stepped away from the tree. “It’s not exactly how I wanted to meet you guys. Drago speaks so highly of you.”

“Does he now?” I shook my head. “But more pressing matters, how did that thing find you?”

She shrugged and threw a hand up in the air. “Your guess is as good as mine. I was walking back from a trip to a friend’s when she found me. She said she knew Drago, and that if I wanted to see him again I’d do what she said. I knew there would be an uproar if anything happened to him, so I didn’t believe her. I didn’t realize that seeing him again meant her attempting to put me six feet under.” She looked to both of us. “He is okay, right? He seemed a little off when I saw him last.”

It was still odd to be speaking to his… girlfriend like this. “He was fine when we left him at the lair half a night ago. But I suppose with all this excitement we should head back to check.” I looked around, fighting motherly instinct that welled up to interrogate the girl. “But I also don’t like the fact this spirit knows where to find you.” I didn’t want to get the Guardians more involved. This was an issue that seemed to revolve around us. It was our problem and we could handle it. For now.

“Hana.”

I looked to him and he nodded towards the far side of the yard. I followed his pace. “We could leave a few Nightmares with her.”

“Their mere presence would send her dreams spiraling, you know this.” He stopped once sure out of earshot. “I dislike the idea just as much as you, but we lose either way. We either send for North, or we take her.” He shifted and I was caught unprepared. Amused, but startled. He stood taller and ground his teeth. “I fear what I would have been like had I been able to raise my daughter to this age.”

I stifled a snort with my hand. “Don’t fret. I love the worried dad side of you as well.” I glanced back at the girl. “I dislike it too, but… Hessian is only shadows, not nightmares.”

“Brilliant.” He tilted his head to her. “Should we continue to leave her to squirm, or properly meet her?”

The mom in me wanted to see her squirm a little longer, but given the circumstances, I decided against it. I started back to her. “Sorry we haven’t been properly introduced until now.”

“He speaks of you often,” she replied, almost startled at being addressed again. “Hana Eve and Pitch Black, guardians of the darker side of the spectrum.”

I quirked a brow. “Guardians?” I glanced to Pitch, who looked a little impressed. “He calls us guardians?”

She began to look nervous. “Ah, yeah. He told me about two sides to the guardians when he slowly introduced me to your world.”

“There is only one side,” Pitch corrected. “The Guardians are a band of do-gooders who keep a tight monitor on what we do.”

“He told me something different.”

“Let’s hear her out,” I said, interested in what Drago had to say. As he aged, he did what any typical growing boy would do. He grew distant as he discovered himself, his friends, his life and his gifts. I wanted to know what he thought of our lives. Not many villains got to hear their sides told. “But first, your name.”

She looked between us, cautiously. “My name is Chloe. I’ve known Drago since I was nine. After getting used to his abilities, he told me about his life, what he learned. He told me about the guardians of light, and guardians of dark, and then of the keeper of the balance. It took a while for that, and I was more surprised when I learned it was his half-sister.” She subconsciously moved to a piece of patio furniture and sat down. “He said it was wonderful growing up as a keeper of nightmares. And, when he discovered his talents could be used for good, by visiting the holding cells of humans deserving of them, he found his place.”

After Charon, Drago had decided to use his judging abilities to bring reoccurring nightmares to those deserving of them. They would come on as full hallucinations. Nasty things. It wasn’t supposed to be a pretty ability, but he had made it work to his advantage. And, the balance evened out quite well that way.

“He said he was raised like any other child he had seen on his runs. A good home, a loving family. Things operated smoothly as each side monitored something. He said he knew the Globe of Fear mainly.”

I nodded. “Over a century ago, I built it to monitor the fear in the world, to see what would be setting off a particular area. I’d conform to trends, anything terrifying at the time, and set things loose on Halloween. It worked so well, and it took a lot of time off my hands of searching.”

“And anytime there was an imbalance, you’d react. If there were too many clusters of fear, you’d retract the creatures you had in the field. If it started to waver too much, you’d send notice to someone named Clara.”

I grinned. Clara was the one I entrusted to keep North in check.

“He always said he couldn’t wait to go out and scare on his own. He knew he could help maintain his portion of the balance.”

A shift in the air made me stiffen and look around. No more time. “We have to head back. Chloe, we’re taking you to Italy. Let that sink in while we leave. Whatever you do, do not fall off the horse.” I whistled for Hessian. I helped Chloe into the saddle and got on behind her as I heard Onyx’s call behind me. Without another moment to spare we left through the shadows, entering the Void. I barely heard the start of a screech of frustration as the shadow closed behind us.

“Who the hell did Drago piss off?” I heard Chloe mutter.

I kept my gaze ahead as we traveled the Void towards home. “You’re going to learn a lot of things I wish you kids weren’t involved in.” I kept my hands tight on the reins. “So, first thing’s first…”


	12. Chapter 12

12.

It was getting worse now. The spirit was going after mortal women now. More specifically, anyone close to Drago. If she had gotten to the girl…I shook it off before the thought formed.

The lair had been better fortified while we were gone. Right now, it was the safest place to be. It would not be visible on the dream plane, where the spirit had found me last. So far as we knew, that was the only way she knew to find us. Any place physical would be impossible to track from there. All the corporeal entrances had been sealed. The only way in or out would be through the Void.

We dismounted on the main steps and the horses vanished to the stables. I ushered Chloe forward as Pitch disappeared upstairs. "I'd offer you something, but we're not exactly the eating type."

She nodded as I led her into the den. "Drago said you couldn't, and that his dad chose not to." She narrowed her eyes in confusion as she sat on the edge of my sectional. "Why is that, if I may ask?"

I sat on the other side, pulling my legs under me. "Unlike his father, I died to become what I am. Due to that, only the essentials were kick-started when I was brought back. My digestive and reproductive systems never came back." I saw the question before she even asked the next one. "The latter came back almost two decades ago." I cleared my throat and shifted. In the safety of the lair, I needed to let momma bear loose. "How long have you known Drago? I know you said since you were nine but…"

"Oh. I met him on Halloween eight years ago. I fell over after he scared the rest of my group off and he helped me up."

It suddenly hit me that I knew this girl. Yes, right after Charon. Now I knew where he had been slipping off to for so many years. "You're not put off by all of this?"

She shook her head. "A little. He's told me stories while we grew, so I knew but…" She shrugged in a gesture around the den. "I wasn't prepared for how… normal your personal space is."

I had to smile. "It's not like we don't keep up with your comforts as we keep up with your fears. I'd much rather sit on a sectional than stiff thrones, and watch TV over a fire. Do you understand how dull those days were two hundred years ago?"

"I'm slightly insulted."

I flinched as Pitch returned, Drago in tow. "You know what I meant." I watched Drago's face do an interesting dance between guilt, embarrassment, and fear. I would have teased, but given the circumstances of her arrival, I left it alone. By the guilt that slipped in, I assumed his father had told him what she was doing here.

"I think you should come apologize." He tilted his head to the door, glancing at our son.

I didn't like it, but when I looked back to Chloe, I sighed and stood. "Yeah, fine." I approached Drago and held on to his arm. "Don't think I wasn't eighteen once. Don't do anything rash." I let them have their peace stopping on the catwalk while Pitch closed the door. "Chances?"

"I say we don't think about it. How are you feeling?"

"Well I was better." I crossed my arms. "Now I'm just nervous. How much else does this thing know? Why does it even want him?"

He shook his head as we started to our room. "This is more than we can handle. Even if Schulz can find something."

I gripped my arms. "I don't like it either, but we don't have much choice. I'll send a bat to them first thing sundown."

"Good. You'll be less bitter about it than I."

I pushed against his side and he put his arm around me. "Suck it up. We need more eyes."

"All over the place I suppose." He tilted his head back to the den.

I stopped and smirked. "I might have something to help with that." I sent a call to Hessian. It didn't take long before I saw the stallion slip through the shadows. He vanished into the doorway. Shortly after I heard a loud shriek.

"Have I told you lately you are sinfully evil?"

"Mm, I warned him." The stallion escaped the room, returning to the stables below. "I believe we can sleep peacefully now."

"I can't wait to see what you'll do with Evilyn."

I stopped in my tracks and almost wanted to cry. And laugh. "Let me keep her a child awhile longer." I took the stairs faster than he did. "And don't speak as if it will be easy for you."

"I never said anything of the sort. I know I will be terrible."

We fell quiet the rest of the way. Only when we were behind our door did I think of something. "So how did you get him downstairs? What did you tell him?"

"I went up, asked about Evilyn. She hadn't made a sound all night. I said, 'We found something while we were out in North Carolina. Really interesting.' He's a smart kid. He figured it out quick. After he told me who she was, I told him what happened."

I sighed and laid back on the bed, noting the sheets had been changed. Most likely Vlad's idea. Good bat. "At least most of the venture was ours."

"We'll have more. We'll have this figured out soon. You're right. With more eyes, we can solve this sooner."

"Then why does it feel we're getting the poor end of the deals?"

"Because we are." He laid back next to me. "Sometimes we have to run with it. If it means asking for help, well, we are cashing in favors. How often have we helped them?"

I nodded to the ceiling. "I know. Doesn't mean I dislike it any less." I sat back up. "I'll send everything to Clara first thing."

He shifted to his side while I went to dig out some night clothes. "Smart idea."

"Then I suppose we just keep waiting for Schulz." I got undressed and pulled out a pair of sleep shorts. "Nothing more we can do besides research a bit more ourselves." He gave a soft hum in response. "I'm getting naked."

"That's nice," he muttered, and I saw he hadn't opened his eyes.

I gave a huff of a laugh and tossed on a shirt. There was no doubt he'd be exhausted. I turned the lights off, slipping under the sheets. "Thank you for tonight."

He hummed again and I left him alone after that. I sighed and curled up on my side. I couldn't figure it out. I almost didn't want to. All I wanted in the first place was to let Drago start his own life. It was hard enough letting him go. It had taken long enough to get over the last attempt on his life. And now this? It was almost like some cruel joke. I closed my eyes.

As much as I said I disliked it, we couldn't fight this alone anymore.


	13. Chapter 13

Even after Hessian left them to calm their hearts, he still had trouble believing she was there.

She fiddled with her fingers. “Well, say something. You’re making me nervous.”

“My dad said you were attacked.” His heart still hammered against his chest. He licked his lips, his eyes darting around her body, assessing any damage. “What happened?”

She picked at her nails, shifting her weight nervously. “I was at Kristy’s. Just walking home like I normally do. Then this… woman stopped me. Asian looking. And then she opened her mouth…” she flinched, “opened her mouth so much farther than physically possible. She pulled out-“

“Scissors?”

She looked at him, startled. “What the fuck did you piss off, Drago?”

He put his hands in his hair. “Fuck… I told you. I wasn’t trying to be dramatic. Chloe, I wasn’t lying when I said I worked around the dangerous spectrum of belief.”

She nodded. “I don’t care. I just want to know what’s going on. I’m scared.”

“I know. I’ve been reading it since I walked through the door.” He approached her. “This thing, it also tried to kill my mom.”

Her breath caught in her throat. “Why? Drago, what is this thing?”

He sighed. “Ah, from what we know, it’s something from Japanese lore. They call it a kuchisake-onna, slit-mouthed woman. She usually targets men, but once they get away she just resets. My dad actually offed her and depleted her powers.”

She frowned. “Then shouldn’t it be going after him?”

“I don’t think so. I was the one to interact with her and spring her trap. If anything, Dad is a side thought.”

“You said he killed her. How is she still around?”

“We don’t know. There isn’t much known about the creature. We know how to deter her, but not how to stop her completely. Not yet, anyway.”

“Yet?”

“Yeah, I know someone who is researching it.”

She stepped up to him. “Drago, your birthday is in two days. You don’t have much more time to figure this out.” She play-punched his chest. “Don’t make me waste all this German training, okay?”

He let out a soft laugh. “Yeah. Okay.” He stepped back. “Knowing my mom’s horse, he’ll be hovering nearby. Otherwise I’d stay longer.”

“I’ll be alright. I think.” She looked around the den. “I mean, it’s like any other living room I’ve seen. I just need to ignore the fact I’m suddenly in Italy and in a lair underground with my boyfriend’s spooky family.”

His laugh was louder this time. “Just wait until you formally meet Evilyn. She’s usually in here first.”

“I’ll manage. Hey, Drago?”

“Yeah?”

“Your family… seems nice.”

He smiled. “I’ll see you at sundown. Or sunrise in your time, really.” He opened the door and jumped as Hessian snorted on the other side. “Stop eavesdropping, you pain in the ass!”

Chloe laughed behind her hand as Drago closed behind him, still yelling at the horse. She looked around, trying to steady her heart. “It’s okay. It’s fine. It’s… so strangely normal.”

When Drago first began telling her stories of his family, she imagined them quite differently. When he told her about his mother, she hadn’t envisioned the woman she had met. She hadn’t expected her to look so… young. He had told her that his mother had been killed at the age of twenty, but Chloe hadn’t expected her to still look it, to look barely older than she was. He had told her of the dark patches of skin on his mother’s face, giving her skull markings, but she hadn’t imagined how well it would contrast with her ashen skin. She had expected bone-white flesh, like a painted sugar skull.

His father was an entirely different story. He was just as intimidating as Drago had said. There was no denying that his reputation preceded him. Chloe knew it was wise to stay clear of him, at least for the time being. She was still mortal, and had succumbed to the Nightmares like any other child had. Drago had said he was loyal to those he found worthy of it, but it took time. She understood to tread carefully in his home.

She looked around the den, taking in all the small details. Possessions gathered through what had to have been centuries. Her fingers slipped down spines of books both paperback and bound in hard covers. Even some so old they were bound in weakening leather. Other small things littered shelves, including the ones in a center console. She knelt in front of the flatscreen, looking at the sides of more spines on those shelves. She amused herself with the titles, seeing a large collection of Disney cassette tapes, both in cases and sleeves. The disk collection was more expansive but still a large portion of titles were Disney. There was no mistaking that children had grown up in that home.

When she looked up, a triptych picture frame caught her eye. Two portrait photos balanced a single horizontal shot. The long photo seemed to be taken somewhere in the lair, during a Halloween party. She felt her heart beat erratically as she realized it was of everyone Drago told her about. North and his wife Clara had gender swapped that night, and she was amazed at how not-like Mrs. Claus Clara really was. Her Santa costume looked like she would be ready to kick you in the throat if you looked at her funny. Bunny pulled off Crocodile Dundee amazingly well, though he was glaring at a boy who had to be Jack in a bunny suit. Her eyes continued right, passing over Toothiana who just put on a ridiculous pink tooth fairy outfit and Sandy in a sand-made cowboy outfit. At the very end, Drago’s parents stood, and she let out an amused breath of a laugh at the Gomez and Morticia costumes. She moved her eyes to the picture next to it.

“Who are you?”

She jumped and took a step back, almost stumbling over the sectional. A little girl stood in a long nightdress, holding a black-stuffed bear tight in her grip. Her ashy skin and yellow eyes gave her away immediately. “You must be Evilyn. I’m Chloe.”

Evilyn beamed at her. “You’re the one Drago talks about!”

Chloe nodded. “And he talks about you all the time too.”

She stopped being cautious and ran up to her, letting Chloe see a small, sandy dark horse perched on her head. “How did you get here?”

“Your mom and dad found me.” She wasn’t sure how much the child knew, and so kept it as PG as possible. “I was in a bit of trouble, and they thought I would be safer here with them and your brother.”

“Oh.” She followed her previous gaze, to the pictures. “They’re really good at protecting people. When they have to. Otherwise…” She held her bear to her face and made growling noises.

Chloe laughed. “I kind of figured that.”

Evilyn pointed to the picture on the right. “They said that was after my brother was born.” She pointed left. “And that was a special day. Mommy said it was after her and Daddy got back together.”

On the right, their father was sitting by the corner of the sectional, while their mother sat on the arm. Drago in the picture looked barely a month old, being held by his mother. On the left was the two of them in a cove somewhere, with her riding on his back. Chloe was still processing how normal and… happy the two supposed evil creatures of the night looked.

“Chloe, is everyone okay?”

She frowned as she watched the girl sit by the collection of movies. “Of course, Evilyn. Why wouldn’t they be?”

“You’re scared. I can’t tell what of, but I know you are.” She pulled out a disk and turned on a console. “Drago is, too.”

She turned her full attention to the girl now. Drago had told her that his sister hadn’t shown any abilities so far. “You can feel my fear.”

She nodded, still getting her movie ready. “And Mommy’s globe lit up somewhere. It stayed on. When Daddy is out, the lights only blink.”

Chloe sat on the couch to steady her legs. “We’re all okay.” She tried to turn the girl’s attention off the subject. It wasn’t one she wanted open. Especially not with a girl barely eight-years-old. “What are you putting on, Evilyn?”

“One of my brother’s favorites.”

She wasn’t sure what to do for a moment as the television turned on. Drago mostly enjoyed horror movies. Horror was what Evilyn’s family literally survived on. Was Evilyn even allowed to watch such things? Her nerves seized as the title screen came on, but relaxed instantly when she realized what it was. Then, confusion sank in.

“Mommy said she used to sing with him when they watched this.” The girl giggled and pulled her legs into her nightgown, the sand horse still perched on her head. “They even danced like they do in the movie.”

“When did he like this?”

“When he was my age. Mommy said it was his favorite for a long time. Until he got older, and Daddy’s favorites took over.”

She let out a hum, listening to the opening music and introduction. “I never would have guessed he liked Sleeping Beauty the most.” She could only imagine him as a child, dancing along with his mother while she sang to him. “I’m sure that was quite a sight.”

“I try to get him to do it with me, but he always says no. That he’s too old for it.”

“Does he now?”

“Yeah. He’s a buttface.”

Chloe laughed and Evilyn gave a sheepish smile, as if she had just cursed for real and gotten away with it. “Yes, he can be a buttface sometimes.” She watched the movie, remembering the scenes so easily. “But that’s why girls team up against the buttface.”

Evilyn giggled. “I like you, Chloe.” She pulled the horse off her head, putting it on her lap.

Chloe let them fall silent then, and she laid out on the sectional. Her eyes slowly became blurred. Try as she might, she couldn’t keep them open. Too much had happened to her at once, and exhaustion soon took over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The middle picture is a reference to chapter 6 of "Where It All Began".


	14. Chapter 14

He was more exhausted than I thought. When I woke the next night, he was still out cold. I shifted out of bed carefully, though at that point I doubted much would stir him. As silently as I could, I readied for the outing I needed to make. I slipped through the shadows to the ground level, just to check on the mortal girl. One to make sure she was still there, and two to make sure Drago was not. I wasn’t surprised to see the glow of the television, meaning Evilyn was already awake. I only hoped she hadn’t bothered the girl. Too much, anyway.

I stopped in the doorway, seeing Evilyn perched on the longer side of the couch against the wall. A small stack of movies next to her showed how long she had been awake. “Evilyn!” I whispered.

She looked over and beamed at me. She stopped her movie and ran up to me. “Are you going out, Mommy? I want to come, too.”

I held on to her shoulders as I led her away from the den, closing the door behind me. “You’ve been awake for hours. Aren’t you the least bit tired?”

She shook her head. “Nope. I’ve been showing Dusk my favorite movies.” She twirled her fingers in the air, and a small horse slithered up her arm to rest in her palm. “I made him with Daddy; isn’t he neat?”

I hadn’t imagined she would be able to tame one so solid. Especially her first one. “Dusk, you say? Well, I imagine when he’s full grown, Hessian will have some competition for top stallion.”

“I think Hessin is okay for now.” She couldn’t quite say Hessian yet, but she was almost there.

“I’m sure they’ll be fine.” I led her into her room. “Now you have one of two options. One, you go back to bed, or two, you come with me, but you have to be absolutely sure you’re awake enough.”

“I’m awake, I’m awake!” She ran around, pulling clothes from her drawers. I picked up a few things here and there while she dressed in the bathroom. “Is Daddy coming, too?”

“No, he’s a bit worn out. It’s been awhile since he’s been awake for so long. Just you and me, kiddo.”

“That’s okay. I like time with just you, too.”

 _Until you grow up on me like your brother._ “I like it as well.” I found myself holding on to the black bear she had inherited from Drago. It was well worn by now, almost nineteen years old. But it held together. Time was flying by faster than I wanted it to. And I began to realize why.

Both of my children were aging like mortals. Drago matured just like any other boy, physically. Evilyn was starting to show signs of her own maturity. I was starting to fear if they would continue to age as they were.

No mother ever wants to outlive her children, but watching them age would be even more cruel a fate.

“Mommy?”

I startled a bit as I looked to my daughter, fully dressed and ready to go. I tossed the bear to her bed. “Ready to go?”

She nodded and took my hand. I noticed Dusk nestled on her shoulder. As we slipped through the shadows, Hessian met us and took us through the Void. I kept Evilyn secure in front of me as always. She let out a squeal of delight when we eventually emerged in an alley beside a familiar storefront. “We’re seeing Schulz!” She ran ahead of me and I heard the bell of the store jingle. I always needed a moment to adjust to the severe temperature of South Florida. I overheard a local once say “How do we live in Florida? We live inside, that’s how.” I would hate to live there year-round.

Schulz was already attending to Evilyn by the time I entered the store, welcoming the cool air conditioning. He presented her with her usual cookie to keep her preoccupied. It let me see how tired and pale he had become. When he turned his attention to me, I better saw the circles forming under his eyes. He tilted his head and I followed him to the back of the store, where he could watch who entered. I had Evilyn stay out of earshot.

He leaned on the counter, so I did as well. He kept his voice low. “I do have something for you, but you won’t like it.”

“I don’t like any of this. I’m about to hate it, aren’t I?”

“Drago broke the system. He put up a fight and she lost.”

“Yeah, but by Pitch’s hand, not his. Shouldn’t he be her target?”

He nodded. “You’d think that, but she is a species that can only have one target at a time. She only picks off men on their own for a reason. Less of a fight. Less of a hassle overall. And so she has developed to be blind to outside forces.”

I frowned. I glanced over to Evilyn as she continued to enjoy her cookie. The thing was bigger than her head. I’d probably regret the eventual sugar-rush, but it was a required distraction. I’d be in trouble if her father found out, but I could survive whatever he would say. I couldn’t deal with any repercussions if Evilyn were to hear something was trying to kill her brother. “But that’s good, isn’t it? It means she can be blindsided.”

“Again, you’d think that. When I say solo-target, I mean once she’s started, she will accomplish her end goal.”

“So she’s like one of the revenants?”

“Basically, yeah. Her end goal is the same, so she won’t die. Not if she turns to flames. However, she dissipates her body to shadows if she feels endangered. There’s no way to burn her.”

“So exactly the same. Just her own breed of crazy.”

“Essentially.” He narrowed his eyes to Evilyn. “Is that a tiny Nightmare on my table taking bites of cookie from your daughter?”

“Yes, that story comes later.”

“Right.” He focused again. “She cannot be blindsided. Not anymore. She’s been knocked out of her cycle for the first time. I couldn’t find out if anyone had bothered killing her before. They’re usually too frozen with shock to fight back. However, Drago was her target when Pitch killed her. Since Drago lived, she lived. He is what keeps her to this world now.”

I gripped the counter a little too hard. “Don’t.”

“Hana, I’m sorry.”

I fought putting attention on the rapid increase of my heart. “She can still be burned, can’t she?”

“Yes, but she always vanishes.”

I swallowed and rolled my neck a bit. “But she can still be touched. She can physically be harmed.”

“Yes. If she is caught unaware.”

I got up from the counter, unable to overcome a feeling to move. I stopped by Evilyn’s table. She wordlessly got up, unable to speak through a current mouthful of cookie, fortunately.

“Hana, she’s old. Old things survive for a reason. You of all people should know that, given your husband’s lifespan.”

“I am well aware.” I held on to Evilyn’s shoulder as Dusk nestled in her hair.

“So what will you do?”

I led her to the door. “What I have to. I hope you like the heat, Schulz.”

He crossed his arms. “Have you seen where I live?”

I smiled. “Goodbye, Schulz. And thank you.”

“Bye Mr. Schulz! Thank you!” She waved and I brought her outside.

I was nauseated by the sudden murky heat. The residents of the state weren’t even well-adapted to the sickening temperatures. “Let’s get home, Lyn. Mommy can’t take much of this heat.”

She only held on to her cookie so Dusk could also nibble the sides. I was happy it was sugar. Sort of. At least it was at a reasonable time for her to be overactive. I whistled for Hessian and he appeared in the shadows of the alley. I helped Evilyn up and hauled myself into the saddle behind her. I opened a path to the Void and we leapt into it. Soon I was able to breathe again. I hated that state. And, from what I understood, so did most of the locals. 

* * *

 

I had holed myself up in my office a few hours after returning. Drago and Chloe were keeping Evilyn busy while she worked off the sugar high. I figured teenagers could use a reminder that there were consequences to certain choices. I watched the globe from the window of my office, trying to find a surge in fear. For an hour, there were only small pulses. Those were normal from the Nightmares out gathering fear, playing their required roles. Then, something made my heart surge.

I threw the curtains closed and took a globe too hastily from the shelf. I ignored one that fell to the carpet with a dull thud. I put it in the holder on my desk and activated the shadows resting in the glass. News reports in Venice appeared. A man’s mouth had been cut, and then he was stabbed in the gut. My door opened and I hastily let the shadows rest.

Pitch entered, rubbing at his eyes with two fingers. “I didn’t expect to be out that long.”

“Not too bad, considering what you did while you were conscious last.” I hid my shaking fingers under my desk. That crazy bitch was miles above our heads. She wouldn’t find a way in, but just knowing where she was…

“How long have you been awake?”

“A few hours.” I stood and picked up the globe. “I went to see Schulz.”

“Did he have an answer?”

“Somewhat of one.”

He frowned and closed the door behind him while I put the globe back on its shelf. “Care to elaborate?”

I leaned back on the edge of my desk. “He says she’s like the revenants. But a special breed. She was always stopped mid-cycle of her pattern, and so never completed her goal. And no one has done what you did.”

“What does that have to do with it?”

“What do you do if your record skips?”

“That’s going back a ways, Hana.”

“I’ve seen your collection, and you’ve seen mine.”

He crossed his arms. “You reset the needle.” He seemed to put it together. “So by breaking her routine, she was able to reset.”

I nodded, just noticing the fallen globe. I went and picked it up. “She is a solo-target hunter. One that will not stop until her prey is dead. And you didn’t kill her. She has a sort of defense mechanism. She disperses to nothing. By being nothing, she can’t be killed. But it still would throw her from her routine to be brought close to death.”

He also pieced that information in. “So she is still hunting him down.”

I said nothing. Instead, I put the globe to the stand, and ran my hand over the surface. The shadows quivered and stretched to fine mist. It translated the Italian news feed. He didn’t need them. He saw the location of the newsfeed and walked around my desk, leaning over the feed.

“There’s hope. She can be attacked physically. She is different, but she is still a revenant. She needs to be burned.”

He remained quiet, listening to the feed. I took the hint and stood in front of him, barely taking in the report. I knew the face he held. It was one I learned early on, and it translated easily. He needed time to process the information in silence. I saw his fists clench tighter. He stilled the shadows inside and returned his fist to the desk. “What now?”

“We will need help. The more eyes we have, the better.”

He nodded, his attention still on the quiet globe.

“I was going to send a bat to Clara once we spoke.” I stepped away from the desk. “If that’s fine with you.”

He nodded again. “It’s fine.”

“Alright. I’ll be back.” I opened the door and shrieked. On the other side, Jack stood, his fist held ready to knock.

“Sorry! I was going to knock this time, I swear.”

“Jack!” I hissed. “Not a good time.” I felt a lick of cold shadows race up my spine. Not good at all.

“Frost.” I hadn’t heard him so flatly calm in a long time. For some reason, it was more unnerving than anything he could do. I stood in the doorway, just in case. “This is twice now you’ve barged into my home. What is stopping me from reminding you of a very important lesson?”

“Don’t shoot the messenger,” I said, still standing in the doorway. “What does North want?”

“Not just him. Everyone. They want to see you. All of you.”


	15. Chapter 15

“So Schulz had news?” North asked once they had been caught up.

I nodded. “There is a way to take this thing down. Given the circumstances of her creation, she is like the revenants we fought. However, she has adapted. She was brought back immediately and has never solved her goal. This has made her quicker, more agile, and more adaptable for sure.”

“She was able to steal away Hana’s soul as she slept, keeping it trapped in the dream realm.” Pitch had kept his arms crossed the entire time so far. Nothing in his posture had changed. This was the last place he wanted to be. And it was the last topic he wished to be speaking of. “She has somehow learned to dreamwalk and soulsteal. Those are powers of a corrupt reaper. Which leads me to believe that at some point she has killed one and taken its abilities.”

“That and the physical assaults to both your family and to Miss Hunter,” Tooth said. Her tone oozed caution. She kept her words guarded as she spoke to him. “Given what you have done for us over the years, we have been chosen that evil does need to be kept in the balance. You’ve been keeping to our agreements.”

“As promised.”

I could almost feel his tension. He was a very protective man, and knowing that bitch was hunting above our home would be waring on his already thin temper.

“Due to your compliance, we will help you.”

I did feel him restrain a scoff. I eyed him. Let them believe what they wanted. “The more help the better,” I said, keeping everyone civil and on track. We were accepted, but not always fully trusted. At this point, since it involved Drago and Evilyn, to hell with it. In the end, nothing would change. I looked across the table to Drago. “Sorry everyone will be on high alert.”

We had brought the children, unwilling to leave the older ones alone for a few reasons. Evilyn had immediately begun to chase the elves, keeping occupied and out of sight. Drago shrugged. “Whatever we have to do. Too bad we don’t have ghostly restraining orders.”

“Yeah, would save us a lot of time right now,” Chloe agreed to his right. “So what can we do?”

“You two do nothing,” North said. “You stay in safety of lair. More fortified there by now.”

I nodded. Nothing was getting there unless it could travel the Void. Which, even then, you’d need to know exactly where to look. We were more at risk where we were standing than at home. “There is the matter of her wandering the streets of Venice. She’s too close.” Tension clawed at my neck. “There isn’t much more time.”

“Agreed.”

I looked at Clara as she stood.

“She’s old, but she’s still a revenant,” she said. “She is something we know how to kill. She is unlike the others in which this one does have an end goal. At least we know she can be taken out before that happens.”

Clara had figured out the need for urgency. I just wasn’t sure how much she knew. “Same as before. Cut off the head and burn it all. With how old she is, let’s be safe and burn it all separately. However, there is the matter of her little disappearing act.”

“This will take strategy on levels close to war,” Tooth said. She looked around. “We know how to fight, but not like this.”

“You don’t. I do.”

I watched Drago as his eyes shot to his father. He had never known his mother technically had a thing for military men.

Come to think of it, not many at the table knew either.

Now knowing all eyes were on him, Pitch’s tension eased away. He was in control again, I realized. For now, he had all the cards. Only I knew how extensive of a history he had in the military. He’d use it to his advantage any way he could. “I’ll need some time, however I believe I know how to trap her. Allow me twenty-four hours to formulate a strategy.”

North nodded. “Until then, we adjourn. We remeet in your home.”

“The stones should still show you the way,” I said as we all rose from our chairs.

Drago rounded the table with Chloe close behind. “You were military?”

“General in a branch that doesn’t exist anymore. Go find your sister.”

He grumbled in response but did as his father said. I clicked my tongue. “Nicely diverted.”

“I thought so.”

Clara approached us, albeit a little cautiously. “I want to talk to you, before you leave.” She nodded to me. “Hana, I mean.”

I looked to Pitch and he nodded. “We’ll be here.” 

* * *

 

Clara closed the heavy door behind us.

“I knew you’d have it figured out first,” I said, wandering around North’s office. “What gave it away is what I’m wondering.”

“When you said what it was.” Her footsteps said she was standing in the middle of the office. I knew she was watching me. “I knew that this one would be different. We will not let her finish her hunt.”

I stopped at a shelf that held a small selection of new stuffed bears North needed to approve. One black one in particular caught my eye. “Can you believe Drago is 18 in two days?”

“Time does fly, especially for an immortal, I’ve found.”

“Yes…” I touched the bear, finding the texture almost the same. “I’ve discovered that as well.” I glanced at her. “May I?”

She nodded.

I picked up the small black bear. It wasn’t the same, but it was close enough. “It seems like no time ago that we went out into the cold and found Drago’s Stuffy. And then, just before my eyes, he grew. And now, even Evilyn is starting to leave it behind.”

“They’ve grown, Hana. Kids do that.”

I gripped the bear. “I know. That’s just it.” I stared at the black domed eyes. “How long have you known Pitch and I?”

“Almost eighty years, I think. Though I’ve only known him to be approachable the last twenty.”

“Have we aged? Think closely. Have we aged even a single day?”

“I don’t think—Oh God, Hana.”

I felt sick. My legs shook. My fingers were numb on the bear.

“Does he know?”

I shook my head.

“He needs to know.”

“I know.”

“Who does know?”

“You and me.” I shook my head. “There’s enough going on.”

“Hana, I know you. This isn’t something you’d brush off.”

“There’s enough going on,” I repeated, glancing back at her. “I’ll deal with that as it comes.” I tossed the bear back on the shelf, heading for the door.

“Maybe… maybe they’re just not the right age for maturity yet. Maybe they’ll stop growing at eighteen.”

I scoffed and stopped in front of the heavy wood. “Even better. I’ll be physically two years older than my kids forever.”

“You can’t have it all, Hana.”

I paused with my hand over the barrier.

“No matter what happens, you can only wait at this point.”

“Yes, wait to see if my children age like mortals before my eyes. Or wait to see if they remain two years my physical senior. Or if they remain young forever. Or if they mature at a random age.” I shook my head. It wasn’t fair for me to lash out at her. I opened the door. “I’m sorry. There’s just a lot on my mind.”

I saw her nod. “Try to distract yourself for now.”

“Oh trust me, I intend to. In any way I can…”


	16. Chapter 16

There was only one surefire distraction I had available at almost all times. Said distraction pressed against my back, his chest desperately trying to calm down. I slid forward on my arms, crossing them and resting my head against them. I closed my eyes as I felt his fingers trail over my arms, his body resting full flush against mine. I felt my eyes and throat sting.

“Not that I’m complaining…” he muttered, his lips brushing against my shoulder, “but what’s brought all this on?” My heart snapped as he tilted his head between my shoulders.

I tried speaking, only to find my throat too tight to do so. I swallowed and cleared it. “What do you mean?”

“Usually you’d be exhausted by now, considering everything. Now this? The fear we collected didn’t last this long. Something else is driving you.”

That damned ability of his. “Can’t I want sex from you in large doses sporadically?”

“I’m not saying that. You’re getting defensive.” He shifted off of me to lay on his side. I met his gaze. “Too much has happened recently. Too much is happening. You’re still recovering as well.”

“All the more reason to want to forget, I’d think,” I said, finding my body seeking his heat. “Not many other ways to keep the mind busy.”

He allowed the contact and parted his legs to allow mine to hook around him. “I’d rather you seek me out than soak yourself in fear alone.”

I felt his fingers entwine in my hair, pulling softly. My throat tightened again.

“Hana, I know what you fear. I fear it, too.”

I couldn’t move, I couldn’t breathe. He sighed into my neck.

“I’ve known for some time. I hadn’t the heart to tell you, either.” He scoffed against my skin.

“What do we do?”

“Nothing but stand by and see what happens. Stupid advice. I know.” He pressed his lips to my shoulder again. “The curse of immortality. We live forever, only dying of specific causes. Only to see… this.”

“Living long enough to see loved ones perish.” I tilted my gaze to his chest. There was no mistaking the increase of his grip.

“Again.”

He had barely muttered the word against my ear from where we were laying. I held on to him tighter.

I listened to the ambiance in the absence of his voice. The fire, his rhythmic breathing now even again, and faint, ethereal cries of the Nightmares outside the palace walls.

“All is not lost, though.”

I met his eyes again. “How?”

“I think I have a semblance of a plan. Care to help me iron the rest out? You’ve always been good at helping fill in the blanks.”

I nodded. Anything to keep my mind busy. Anything to keep me from thinking of the inevitable. “What’s your idea?” 

* * *

 

Downstairs in the stables, Drago tended to Bellini. Chloe had long since retired, but he found he could not sleep. Rather than dare be found in the den, he went to his only other sanctuary.

 _“It’s too much darkness, even for us,”_ Bellini pressed against his mind as he ran a brush over her side. _“Too much at once, anyway,”_ she added.

He nodded.

_”But at least Chloe is safe. And your mother.”_

Again he only nodded, not sure how to respond. He only filled the silence with the brush. Bellini was not wrong. He knew the severity was to be expected, though. He just hadn’t expected his loved ones to be targeted. He hadn’t read into the lore like that. Nothing gave way that the spirit would be that determined.

Though, who would she target next? There weren’t many in his life that he loved dearly. His father would be avoided until the last minute, leaving only one option left. Unless the spirit would come back to finish anything she had started. No matter the odds, he did not like them.

Drago felt something flick against his cheek, pulling him from his catatonic state. He noticed his shadows flicking about, softly brushing against whatever it could. He felt Bellini shift and snort. “Easy. You know it won’t affect you.”

_“I’m glad it doesn’t. I’ve seen what you do to humans with it.”_

“The prisoners, yes. Remember I do target specific humans, after all.” He found his brush following the vibrant green spirals in her black fur.

_“And now it’s too hard to keep your mortal figure.”_

“Which could come to my advantage. Would make my part of the spectrum easier.”

_“You’d lose Chloe though. She couldn’t be near you.”_

“And there goes the fun. Spoil sport.” He tapped her muzzle and she tossed her head slightly. “Doesn’t really matter. If I can’t hold this form much longer, I’ll have to leave for Germany alone for awhile.”

She tipped her head forward. _“Or…”_

“Or?”

_“You could ask your father.”_

He scoffed. “No way. I’m not letting Dad know. He has enough to worry about.”

_“Drago, your father IS a shadow. He of all people would know how to teach you to keep your form together. I think he’d find it a welcomed distraction. And you could use the skill rather than seek out your sister.”_

He chewed the inside of his cheek, knowing Bellini wasn’t wrong. He had wanted to learn how to handle it on his own, while Emily-Jane helped keep the shadows calm. They were growing faster than he could keep it under control. Given his heritage, it was to be expected.

He stepped away and tapped the brush against his opposite palm, weighing his options. Not many choices came back to him.

_“Drago?”_

“I’m thinking.”

_“I’m aware. That’s what’s scaring me.”_

He threw her a look and she tossed her head in amusement. “Dad said he was military and that he would be able to figure this out, but… I don’t know if he can.” He put the brush in its proper place. “I mean, I know generals have to be quick witted on the battlefield, but this is one target. One very elusive target. From what I know of his past, he’d be used to massive battles.”

 _“I’m sure he fought his fair share of solo battles. You don’t become a general for your wit alone.”_ Her head tilted up, over towards the area they kept clear for weapons practice. _“Given his talent with every weapon he’s ever used around us, and his knowledge of any combat situation we’ve ever seen him emerge from, he’s always shown great skill and overall calm. You don’t get that overnight.”_

Drago chuckled and leaned against the stall wall. “No, but you could get that from having an immortal lifespan. Even Mom is a small fraction of his age and look at what she can do.”

 _“Not just that.”_ Bellini shifted and took a few steps to stretch her legs out. _“I’m not that much older than you, true, but I’ve never seen him loose his composure in a battle. He’s always come out at least two steps ahead. Yes survivability would help with that, but so would military training. A general’s rank for sure.”_

He shrugged. “Okay, so what does that mean? That I leave everything in his hands while this psychopath is literally filling the streets above our heads with blood? I know it doesn’t bother him if innocents are killed while he protects his family and the larger picture, but it bothers me.” He gripped his arms and shifted against the wall. “I mean, Dad hasn’t shown much compassion to those outside his bloodline my entire life. I don’t expect him to change now. Mom isn’t much better, to be honest.”

_“They do what they have to. You and Evilyn are their top priority. Everything else is collateral.”_

“Yeah and it shouldn’t be.” He shifted off the wall and started pacing. It was a habit he knew would drive his mother crazy if he ever did it around her. “I know, we’re the evil ones. We keep to the darkness to make sure balance is kept. Fear, dread, anxiety, pain, they’re all required to keep everything in order. It’s why our family is so strong. It’s why the shadows continue to grow faster than I can keep up with. But still, we should be doing something.”

Bellini shorted, watching her master. _“Like what? Throwing ourselves to her feet? She is after you. The last thing you should be doing is going out there to try anything. She is old. Old things survive for a reason.”_

“I’m not afraid of her.”

_“Tell me, when was the last time you won a fight with your mom.”_

“Last week when-“

_“Physically. When was the last time you won a physical fight against your mother?”_

He went quiet then.

 _“Because that spirit is about as old as your mother. It has had the same amount of time to gather power, to grow and learn her abilities. She is much older, stronger, and faster than you.”_ She snorted and tossed her muzzle into his path. _“You’re not even eighteen yet. What do you hope to do against a spirit centuries your senior?”_

He ground his teeth, more of his shape slipping. The skin of his cheek turned to smoky dust, sloughing off and joining the rest of the snapping tendrils. The sclera of that eye began to look as if someone had dripped ink into the veins.

_“Look at you. How do you think you can save Chloe now? You can’t even control yourself.”_

His shadows solidified. He ground his teeth. “Shut the fuck up, Bell, you have no fucking idea what I have to do!”

The half-Nightmare took a tentative step back. _“I know you need to see your father. There is no excuse now.”_

Drago growled and looked at himself in the stall mirror. His heart stopped when he saw his form. He was only 3/4ths himself. The rest were snapping shadows. The sclera was now completely black, and the ink effect had started to spread to the other, leaving his dusty yellow irises brighter than normal. He took a staggered step back, just beginning to notice the wriggling sensations of the rogue shadows. Bellini was right

It was time to talk to his father.


End file.
